Five Myths About Strangulation
This resource was created by the Training Institute to present the five myths about strangulation, with facts and solutions for each.
FIVE MYTHS ABOUT STRANGULATION
Prepared by Gerald Fineman, Assistant District Attorney, Riverside County, and Dr. William Green, Medical Director, California Clinical Forensic Medical Training Center/ CDAA
Myth #1: STRANGULATION AND CHOKING ARE THE SAME THING
Fact:
STRANGULATION is the external application of physical force that impedes either air or blood to or from the brain. CHOKING is an internal obstruction of the airway by a foreign object.
Solution:
Use a diagram. Compare to the flow of electrical current. Compare to the flow of air/water through a closed system (fish tank).
Myth #2: STRANGULATION ALWAYS LEAVES VISIBLE INJURIES
Fact:
Studies show that over half the victims of strangulation lack visible external injury. A victim without visible external injury can still die from strangulation.
Solution:
Demonstrate cutting off blood flow to your fingertips by squeezing your wrist with your other hand. Upon release of the grip, you will likely have no identifiable marks. If you do, they will be very short in duration.
Myth #3: IF THE VICTIM CAN SPEAK, SCREAM, OR BREATHE, THEY ARE NOT BEING STRANGLED
Fact:
Since strangulation involves obstruction of blood flow, a person can have complete obstruction and continue breathing until the moment they die from lack of oxygenated blood flow to the brain.
Solution:
Again, grab your wrist and squeeze. You can still breathe, yet blood flow is obstructed to the fingertips. If this was the victim’s neck, they could still have an open trachea (windpipe) but have lack of blood
Myth #4: STRANGULATION CANNOT BE HARMFUL BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE PRACTICE IT (MARTIAL ARTS, MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT)
Fact:
Martial arts are a form of combat. The military and law enforcement use strangulation as a lethal form of force.
Risk:
There are numerous incidents of death resulting from strangulation. This can even occur during otherwise supervised events, such as sporting events, law enforcement
Myth #5: STRANGULATION VICTIMS SHOULD BE ABLE TO DETAIL THEIR ATTACK
Fact:
Trauma impacts the brains ability to store memory. In addition, the hippocampus (part of the brain where memory is stored) is the most sensitive to oxygen deprivation. When a victim is strangled, both factors can impact the ability to recall.
Solution:
Give the example of how limiting the flow of electricity to a digital recording device will prevent it from recording.
This project is supported all or in part by Grant No. 2016-TA-AX-K067 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.