Background
The Breathless campaign – developed by violence prevention initiative It’s Time We Talked – aims to prevent the harms of sexual strangulation, particularly among young people, by:
- raising awareness about its risks
- supporting critical thinking about sexual norms and pornography
- providing reputable and trustworthy information
- encouraging informed conversations about strangulation, safety, respect, mutual pleasure and consent.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in rates of sexual strangulation among young people, with many saying that the practice is now considered ‘normal’. Fifty-seven per cent of Australians aged 18–35 report being strangled by a partner during sex, including 78% of trans and non-binary people, 61% of women and 43% of men (137). Many people report that strangulation wasn’t discussed before it occurred, which means there was no opportunity to talk about risks or whether there was consent for it to happen. And while consent is a critical precursor for sexual activity of any kind, it does not protect from the potential harms of sexual strangulation. Nor is it clear that it is possible to give informed consent to be strangled, given the unpredictable nature of the associated risks.
The campaign makes clear there is no safe way to strangle someone, with risks including headaches, dizziness, memory gaps, miscarriage, bruising, neck pain, brain injury, stroke, PTSD and, in some instances, death.
Breathless uses first-person storytelling, including interviews with young people and experts, to break down stigma, raise awareness and improve people’s understanding. Breathless also includes a social media campaign and professional learning resources.
A key driver of increasing rates of sexual strangulation is its depiction in pornography, which has become a default sexuality educator for many young people. Young people report feeling pressured to mimic the ‘porn script’ and to behave as if they enjoy acts that are painful or scary. Therefore, central to the Breathless campaign is the recognition that the online pornography industry is a significant commercial contributor to gendered violence.
Insights
Through the work of the Breathless campaign, the violence prevention sector and the community more broadly are becoming aware of how online pornography contributes to violence against women and children, and how it impacts young people’s experiences of sex, including the increased prevalence of sexual strangulation.
The growing awareness of pornography’s harms has contributed to an increasing appetite for regulation, both in Australia and internationally.
Further support is needed because many parents, educators, health professionals and other practitioners do not feel well-equipped to talk to the young people in their lives about the harms of sexual strangulation and other behaviours promoted in pornography. This could include professional resources, community education campaigns and policy measures addressing sexual strangulation, its health and disability impacts, and the role of pornography as a driver of gendered violence.
Key takeaway
The Breathless campaign and its founders, It’s Time We Talked, make an important contribution to the urgent task of raising awareness about the prevalence and harms of sexual strangulation and pornography among children and young people. It demonstrates the importance of developing awareness campaigns that are informed by and relevant to young people. It also highlights the value of professional learning and resources that supports practitioners to engage on difficult and stigmatised topics to prevent harm.