Recognising the Risk: What We Now Know About Strangulation
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector PodcastShow Notes
Have you seen the new Impact Report from the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS), looking back at its work from 2022 to 2026? The report tells us about the growing recognition of non-fatal strangulation in domestic abuse cases and why the language used to record these incidents matters enormously for safeguarding professionals and independent reviewers.
In this episode I explore: The increased recognition and recording of strangulation offences since the introduction of the standalone offence, and what this tells us about an issue that was historically poorly understood and identified. The continuing gaps within the data, including the significant proportion of police cases where the victim's ethnicity was recorded as unknown. Why independent reviewers need to pay close attention to how strangulation appears within chronologies, particularly when language such as "choking", "grabbed around the throat" or an "argument that got physical" can minimise the seriousness of what occurred. Why an incident involving the neck, throat or inability to breathe should prompt greater professional curiosity, ensuring that the risk isn't inadvertently made smaller through the way an incident has been recorded.
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About Donna: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews and Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews. She is also an accredited SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers 'SILP School' her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.
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