Addressing the UK Response to Strangulation: IFAS Impact Report
- Claire Verney
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Non-fatal strangulation is one of the strongest indicators of high risk potentially lethal behaviour in domestic abuse cases. The first national impact report published by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS) sets out the progress as well as online planning needed to improve awareness, policy and practice around strangulation.
The Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS) has published its first national impact report, Recognising the Risk: Transforming the UK’s Understanding and Response to Strangulation, highlighting the significant progress made in improving awareness, policy and professional practice across the UK.
IFAS has become the UK's leading authority on strangulation, bringing together survivors, healthcare professionals, researchers, policing, criminal justice agencies, government and specialist organisations to address one of the most dangerous—and frequently misunderstood—forms of violence used in domestic abuse. By bridging healthcare, criminal justice and public policy, IFAS has played a central role in driving national change.
The report demonstrates the scale of both the challenge and the progress made. Since the standalone offence of non-fatal strangulation was introduced, recorded strangulation offences have increased by 87%, with 44,426 offences recorded across England and Wales during 2024–2025. While these figures reflect the continued prevalence of this form of abuse, they also highlight increasing recognition and reporting of offences that were previously overlooked or misunderstood.
IFAS has built a substantial evidence base through around 20 published research reports, helping to shape national policy, including the Government's VAWG Strategy and the criminalisation of strangulation depicted in pornography under the Crime and Policing Act 2026. Its research has also identified important gaps in data collection, including the finding that 54% of police cases recorded victim ethnicity as "unknown", highlighting the need for more equitable data and service provision. Survivors have informed the research, education, policy development and resources, ensuring that improvements are grounded in lived experience and focused on improving outcomes for those affected by strangulation.
The report sets out an ambitious five-year vision to build on these achievements by embedding specialist training within core professional standards, strengthening clinical and forensic pathways, expanding research into perpetrator behaviour and effective interventions, and establishing sustainable national leadership.
Why this matters for domestic abuse risk assessment
The IFAS Impact Report reinforces the growing recognition that non-fatal strangulation (NFS) is one of the strongest indicators of future serious harm and homicide in domestic abuse cases. While the report focuses on IFAS's national impact rather than assessment methodology, its findings have important implications for professionals responsible for identifying and managing risk.
By strengthening the evidence base IFAS research has contributed to a more consistent understanding of strangulation as a high-risk indicator that requires immediate assessment and intervention. IFAS's involvement with national policing and criminal justice forums, together with its contribution to sentencing guidance, supports a more evidence-informed and consistent response across agencies. This is particularly relevant for domestic abuse risk assessors, whose decisions often rely on shared understanding between health, police, safeguarding and specialist support services.
Importantly, the report highlights that strangulation should not be viewed as an isolated incident or assessed solely on the presence or absence of visible injury. The Institute's work continues to emphasise that victims may present with little or no external evidence despite experiencing potentially life-threatening internal injuries and a significantly increased risk of future serious violence. This reinforces the need for comprehensive, risk assessments that consider the context of coercive control, patterns of abuse and escalating behaviour rather than relying on physical signs alone.
For practitioners undertaking domestic abuse risk assessments, the report is a reminder that robust, evidence-informed assessment is critical to protecting victims. Improved professional knowledge, consistent questioning about strangulation, appropriate referral for medical assessment where indicated, and effective multi-agency information sharing all contribute to better safeguarding decisions and improved outcomes.
Research and Resources
IFAS have published a number of research reports and guidance available on the IFAS website.
Domestic Homicide and Femicide Data
Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) Series & Femicide Census Response: IFAS reviews homicides where strangulation/asphyxiation was a method of killing, both as a method of non-fatal abuse in the victim's history and as the fatal act.
Impact & Prevalence
Recognising the Risk: IFAS Impact Report (2026): Details the UK's progress and the impact of the standalone strangulation law.
“You Look Fine”: The Impact of Strangulation (2025): A qualitative study detailing survivors' lived experiences of memory and psychological impact.
Strangulation During Sex in the UK (2025): An in-depth report on the prevalence of strangulation during sexual intercourse and its associated risks.
Strangulation in the UK Media (2025): An analysis of how online article titles and the media present non-fatal strangulation.
Police Data & Homicides
Strangulation and Suffocation Offences Police Data 2025 (Year 3): Two comprehensive data analysis reports detailing the national rise in police-recorded offences.
Domestic Homicide Review Analysis Series (2024): A three-part series providing a detailed exploration of non-fatal strangulation and fatal suffocation/smothering in domestic homicides, including the Part 3 report focusing solely on Fatal Strangulation.
Guidance Includes
Clinical Management: The Acute and Emergency Care Guidelines assist clinicians with the assessment, investigation, and imaging of patients who have experienced non-fatal strangulation within the last 4 weeks.
Police Management: The full Police Guidance Document and the quick-reference Police Pocket Guide offer first responders actionable steps for initial victim screening, suspect information gathering, and evidence recording.
Confidentiality: The Information Sharing Document helps health professionals balance patient confidentiality with critical safeguarding duties.
Helplines and Support
If you or someone you know has experienced strangulation there is information and guidance in the IFAS information leaflet for victims.
In an emergency always dial 999 If you dial 999 and are unable to speak press 55 and follow the instructions from the operator, find out more here -https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/research-learning/Silent_solution_guide.pdf
Helplines are available in the UK as follows:
The Samaritans - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ Whatever you're going through, you can call free any time, from any phone, on 116 123
National Domestic Violence Helpline – 0808 2000 247
The Men’s Advice Line, for male domestic abuse survivors – 0808 801 0327
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0800 999 5428
Action on Elder Abuse helpline: 0808 808 8141
Childline - 0800 1111 you can also go to https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/
NSPCC (Monday to Friday 8am – 10pm or 9am – 6pm at the weekends) - 0808 800 5000 or Contact counsellors 24 hours a day by email or online reporting form help@nspcc.org.uk
Kaleidoscopic UK provides independent, confidential and free on-going survivor led support groups. Available to anyone who has experienced any form of domestic abuse. Visit their website at https://www.kaleidoscopic.uk/
About DVACT-PAI
DVACT-PAI are a team of domestic abuse experts, available throughout the UK, who provide assessments, programmes, consultancy and training to local authorities and the family courts. Our experts have decades of experience working directly with domestic abuse perpetrators and victims, as specialist assessors and as expert witnesses in the family courts.
DV-ACT was formed with the aim of using our expertise to help safeguard children from abuse, this is at the heart of everything that we do. To read more about us please visit our post - Who are DV-ACT?
