We Try To Rember So We Do Not Forgor

I have not found any alternative names for strangulation, sometimes words like “choking” or “asphyxiation” will be used interchangeably but strangulation has a very specific meaning that neither of them quite capture.

Overview:

Strangulation is a form of murder and or manslaughter that involves the perpetrator applying a dull force to the victim’s neck in order to make them unable to breathe.

Why Does It Work:

Although when most people think of strangulation they think of the fact that the victim cannot breathe and while that is a main component of strangulation there are three total effects that come from strangulation.

The first thing in your neck is probably air (or some sort of air equivalent) which you of course, need to live. Why this happens is quite self evident as the only passageway in the body for air to travel through is being closed off, preventing the air from getting anywhere including the victim’s brain or lungs which can cause them to pass out and eventually die from asphyxiation.

The second thing that’s located within your neck is probably blood which you also desperately need to live. Unfortunately the arteries in the human neck are quite weak and have no bones to back them up and prevent them from experiencing maximum squishing meaning that the circulation to the victim’s brain can be easily blocked causing them to pass out and further lower the amount of oxygen that’s getting to the brain.

The third thing that’s probably within your neck is nerves! The nerves within the neck are incredibly sensitive to outside pressure which can also contribute to the victim passing out sometimes even before their air or circulation is actually cut off.

What does an average strangling look like:

Strangulation is a rather slow method of murder as well as a risky one as there’re many false positives along the way. It takes around seven to ten seconds for the victim to pass out on average which may sound short but actually gives the victim a notable period of time to fight back, if the victim is a similar size to the attacker and has their legs or arms free they have a pretty high chance of escaping unless they have exhausted by some other means. Even if the victim is let go immediately after passing out they will still be very confused. It can only take a minute of being unconscious due to strangulation to start experiencing permanent brain damage that can lead to physical and mental impairments. People can also die within one minute of strangulation but it can take much longer if the victim is very healthy or has naturally large lungs.

When do people strangle:

Strangulation is a very personal act that notably takes time, leaves behind evidence and puts you in incredibly close proximity to the victim, it is almost exclusively used in either domestic abuse or unpremeditated crimes of passion. Although it may take a while to strangle someone to death the stranglers perception of time may be warped meaning that even if they are not strangling to kill or to permanently injure both of those things can still happen. Do not strangle anyone, it is not safe. You cannot see your own or someone else’s throat and lungs from outside of their body.

There are many ways to strangle people both with and without a weapon, but on average strangulation is often unpremeditated (as an adrenaline rush of sorts is often required), done against healthy victims (suffocation takes less energy and works almost identically but only works on people already incapacitated) and is done by healthy perpetrators (strangulation is not easy).

There are cases of premeditated strangulation to kill however, in those cases the perpetrator often brings a weapon like a rope or convinces the victim to wear something like a necklace or a scarf, anyone who premeditates a murder by strangulation is absolutely batshit there is no way around that. Mostly likely this kind of person would be violent before hand, known the victim for a long time and have probably threatened specifically strangulation before.

Ways to resist strangulation:

If a victim knows that they probably will be strangled but aren’t being strangled yet removing all accessories on the neck gives the strangler less leverage. In a similar vain it is also ideal to get as far away from any rope-esque objects as like charging cords and blankets. It also may not be the first choice for your perpetrator but if strangulation suddenly stops being an option they will probably pivot to suffocation so avoiding things like pillows or any water is also a good idea.

When it comes to attacking the perpetrator strangulation makes them uniquely vulnerable as they can only keep their victim literally at arms length. A knee or foot to the genitalia will probably throw off all but the most determined of stranglers, however if your victim is too short to pull of such a move there are more defensive strategies like scrunching one’s neck, entering a fetal position and covering the exposed neck with their own arms.

If the strangler has any demands it is probably wise to comply with them unless the victim has reason to believe they will kill them anyways. It is only recommended if the perpetrator loosens their hold both to appear more compliant and to not waste energy when the victim cannot escape/has much lower chances of escaping.

Symptoms?:

Strangulation technically has “symptoms” but most people (including me) would call them something like tells or signs.

The most obvious ones include visible damage to the neck, bruises in the shape of fingers or a rope are the most telltale signs of strangulation out there.

Strangulation can cause Petechiae to form, if you had never heard of Petechiae before you are not alone I have been obsessed with killing this one guy for four years at least and this is the first I’ve heard of them. From what I can tell it’s a minor spotty skin discoloration that looks like a rash and be caused by anything from rope burn to leukemia but apparently it can be gained from strangulation reliably. They aren’t itchy, they don’t hurt and they aren’t directly harmful.

As it is a form of damage to the neck the relatively harmless symptoms of coughing, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness and pain in the neck and the more dangerous symptoms of difficulty breathing, a complete inability to swallow and coughing up blood.

Like most forms of forced unconsciousness strangulation has the unfortunately embarrassing symptom of unwanted disposal of bodily waste, this may cause someone to get rid of their clothes despite them containing valuable evidence.

Sources:

Biology Insights, What Happens When You Are Strangled?

Alliance for HOPE international, Strangulation safety plan pamphlet