Violent pornography showing strangulation to be banned
Violent porn showing choking and strangulation will be made illegal through the Crime and Policing Bill, the government has announced
Strangulation in pornography will be banned after a review warned violent depictions have effectively established choking as a “sexual norm”.
The government has announced plans to make any pornography showing strangulation illegal as part of their pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
It is already a criminal offence to possess porn depicting life-threatening acts, such as graphic strangulation.
But the government is set to tighten up laws, warning “dangerous online material is perpetuating the growing epidemic of violence against women and girls”.
It comes after the Independent Porn Review, conducted by Baroness Gabby Bertin, found that media sources have normalised such acts and created a belief that choking a partner during sex is safe because it is non-fatal.
Her review, published in February, urged ministers to crackdown on degrading, violent and misogynistic porn in 32 recommendations, including outlawing so-called “nudification” apps.
Baroness Bertin said online pornography is fuelling some of the “gravest issues in our society, from domestic violence to toxic masculinity to the mental health crisis among young people".
Discussing her findings earlier this year, she told the BBC: “I'm not saying that people shouldn't watch porn. I'm not saying porn shouldn't exist. I'm not a prude.
“It strikes me as incredible that to buy a DVD, which sounds so sort of retro, the BBFC [British Board of Film Classification] has to put a stamp on it, has to check that certain standards have been met. That there's no sense you are encouraging child sexual abuse. No harmful, degrading, humiliating practices which is not through consensual role play.
"You just have to go on the homepages of some of these mainstream sites and you will see of all that degrading content – particularly violent towards women – and it's all there for everyone to see."
Announcing the changes, which will be brought under the Crime and Policing Bill, minister for victims and tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones said: “Depicting strangulation during sex is not only dangerous, but also degrading, with real life consequences for women.
“Cracking down on the appalling rise of strangulation pornography will protect women and send a clear signal to men and boys that misogyny will not be tolerated.”
The move was welcomed by Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), who says experts have “long warned” of the dangers of normalising violence against women in online content.
“There is no such thing as safe strangulation; women cannot consent to the long-term harm it can cause, including impaired cognitive functioning and memory,” she said.
“Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people.
“This is a vital step towards recognising the role violent pornography plays in shaping attitudes to women and regulating an industry which promotes and profits from violence against women.”