SafeBAE · chokinghazard.org
By college, many young people have already heard about “choking” or encountered it in sexual contexts. Waiting until after high school to talk about the impact and harm of sexual strangulation is too late. Prevention needs to start earlier.
For some teens, strangulation is already part of their sexual experiences. The charts below compare reports of being strangled or strangling a partner across three age groups.
Students could name more than one source.
1in4
of the college students who had been choked said the first time happened between the ages of 10 and 17 — before college started.
Where they first learned about it. Herbenick, Fu, Miller et al., Sexuality Research and Social Policy (2025). 4,254 students at a large US public university. Students could name more than one source.
Age at first experience. Herbenick et al., Archives of Sexual Behavior (2022). 4,242 US college students, about 40% of whom had experienced choking during sex.
The carotid arteries carry blood to your brain. It takes less force to close them than to pull open the tab on this can.
To close the carotid arteries. A person can lose consciousness within seconds.
To pull open the can’s tab. Nearly twice as much force.
| The jugular veins close | 4lb | |
|---|---|---|
| The carotid arteries close | 11lb | |
| Opening a can of soda | 20lb | |
| The windpipe closes | 33lb |
These figures are not safe limits. There is no safe amount of force to use.
These times come from medical research compiled by the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention. They are averages, not a predictable sequence. Symptoms can happen sooner.
Start the clock to watch the timeline in real time, or read all the times below.
By the time a partner notices that someone has stopped responding, they have already lost consciousness. There is no safe way to choke someone. This is not a countdown to a safe stopping point. Stopping before any of these times does not make strangulation safe.
If it has already happened
Call 911 if they are unconscious, having trouble breathing, confused, weak or numb on one side, seizing, or showing signs of stroke.
Say “I was strangled,” rather than only describing a sore throat. Tell the clinician what you remember: how long it lasted, whether you passed out — even for a few seconds — and whether a belt, rope, or another object was used.
When someone reports strangulation and has any of the primary warning signs (left), the recommended test is a CT angiogram of the blood vessels in the neck. Often, plain X-ray and ultrasound scans are not adequate for this.
If symptoms start or get worse later, go back, even if they were already seen. Swelling can develop hours and even days later, and a stroke from a torn artery can follow after days or weeks.
If you strangled someone without their consent, pressured them, or went further than they agreed to, Vibe Check can help you reflect on what happened and what taking responsibility could look like. It’s a private reflection and accountability tool from SafeBAE.
