Choking vs. Strangulation: Why verbiage matters in domestic violence cases. by Kelly M. Glenn Strangulation is a significant factor when determining the lethality risk in a domestic violence relationship. Victims often refer to it as “choking,” however, the two terms are not synonymous. Choking occurs internally when something gets lodged inside of the throat, blocking the airway , If a woman’s partner has ever strangled her, even once, her risk of being murdered by that same partner with a gun shoots up 750% compared to a woman who has never been strangled. When it comes to abuse – be it physical, mental, financial, or psychological, it’s all horrible, unjustified, and should never be tolerated., “When a woman is trying to get away from a strangler she’s in the most danger of her life,” he says. “If the system fails in holding him accountable, she could die.” That system includes law enforcement, the courts and child welfare systems, all of which have varying degrees of strangulation training and some, none at all., The following piece was written by a survivor of domestic violence to educate others about the dangers of strangulation within intimate partner relationships. Please note potential triggers. Things got physical again, this time it was a little different, or maybe it was something that had happened before. During the struggle he grabbed your neck, it scared you- you were worried that you may , Having recently testified in several legal cases involving strangulation, here are some facts we all need to know about this extreme form of domestic violence., It’s not hard to imagine that a perpetrator who will choke out his wife or girlfriend might also be willing to commit violent attacks on a police officer or well-intentioned bystander..