The devastating impact of non-fatal strangulation ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ and how students are raising awareness

Medical students delivered a workshop to highlight key issues that have ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜become normalised in societyÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™
Woman sitting down with head in hands

The devastating impact of non-fatal strangulation ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ and how students are raising awareness

Medical students delivered a workshop to highlight key issues that have ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜become normalised in societyÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™
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Non-fatal strangulation is currently in headlines through a. And a group of student doctors from the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ has also focused on the topic to raise awareness of the harms and address barriers to reporting.
The students, based in Taunton, chose the topic as part of a community-based learning exercise where groups are required to understand pressing issues and deliver interventions to help. They worked with charities to understand the impact and harm caused by non-fatal strangulation. 
A survey from the Institute for Addressing Strangulation showed that 55% of people aged 16-34 thought strangulation during intimacy was normal, having experienced it themselves ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ and yet non-fatal strangulation occurred in nearly half of attempted, or completed, domestic homicides.    
So, the team of third-year students focused in on the topic and the barriers to people reporting it, working with BSc Professional Policing students at the University to educate them about the impacts, and how to ensure victims were supported through empathetic listening and accurate reporting. 
Hopeful of continuing the workshops and even rolling out further to serving police officers, the team is proud of its work taking on something thatÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s both inherently normalised, and a social taboo.  

When we were linked up with our community organisations, we didnÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™t have a particular topic in mind to support on ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ we went in completely open.

But, after working with them, we decided to focus on non-fatal strangulation, and educating people more about why it needs to be discussed. 
The physical and mental impacts on the victim are hugely significant, and our role as student doctors enabled us to highlight these in a factual, objective way, while ensuring that people impacted by the issues are heard and supported.
It was a really powerful project to work on, and we donÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™t want this to be the last of it. ItÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s vital that police are given the tools to understand victims reporting, and important for victims to realise they are not alone.
Lydia Crawford, a third-year medical student who worked on the project

A commitment to social justice

Medical students who delivered workshop on domestic abuse and non-fatal strangulation as part of the Creative Approaches to Advocacy For Wellbeing (CAW) module in third year medicine
The work came as part of the Creative Approaches to Advocacy For Wellbeing (CAW) module, which sees all third-year medical students at the University put into groups and partnered with community organisations to understand their challenges and work with them on solutions. 
The key aim is to introduce students to different people and topics that they might not have encountered during their degree to date, and encourage them to work with people, not for them, to aid a healthier society. 
All projects were shared at a conference ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ one of the highlights in the medical school calendar.  

WeÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™re a socially-minded medical school and embed community and partnerships at the core of our learning.

Students worked on projects which focused on topics ranging from dementia care and autism support to menopause and climate change, and each came away with a new perspective on community healthcare.
The project on non-fatal strangulation was a particularly powerful one and emotionally challenging, but so important, and shows how our students are taking on challenging issues to help and support people towards a healthier, more just society.

Jonah FoxMr Jonah Fox
Lecturer in the Peninsula Medical School, who supports CAW module delivery

 
 

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