Why Prior Strangulation Is a Critical Warning Sign for Intimate Partner Homicide
When an intimate partner attempts to strangle a woman, it is not simply another act of relationship violence. It is a potentially lethal assault that can signal an elevated risk of future severe violence and homicide.
The critical issue is not merely that strangulation occurred, but what it reveals about the danger, the perpetrator’s behavior, and the victim’s potential vulnerability to escalating violence.
Why strangulation is associated with a dramatically elevated homicide risk
1. Demonstrated capacity for potentially lethal violence
Strangulation can compress blood vessels and/or the airway, disrupting oxygen delivery to the brain and potentially causing death. It demonstrates that the perpetrator has engaged in an assault capable of causing catastrophic injury.
2. A marker of potentially escalating violence
Prior strangulation is associated with a substantially elevated likelihood of attempted or completed intimate partner homicide. It should trigger a thorough assessment of other risk indicators, including threats, stalking, increasing severity of assaults, and weapon access.
3. Potential use of violence to exert power and control
In the context of relationship abuse, strangulation may function as a means of intimidation, punishment, silencing, or coercive control. The meaning of the assault must be evaluated alongside the broader pattern of behavior rather than assumed from the act alone.
4. Serious injury can occur without obvious external marks
A lack of visible bruising or immediate loss of consciousness does not rule out serious injury. Internal damage and delayed complications can occur, which is why strangulation must be taken seriously even when external injuries appear minor.
5. A critical signal for lethality assessment and safety planning
A history of strangulation should prompt assessment of the full constellation of risk factors, including death threats, separation-related escalation, obsessive jealousy, stalking, access to firearms, and the victim’s own perception of danger.
What the research actually found
The 2008 study by Glass and colleagues, published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine, compared women who had experienced attempted or completed intimate partner homicide with abused women who had not experienced those outcomes. Prior nonfatal strangulation was associated with:
6.7 times
The odds of attempted homicide
7.48 times
The odds of completed homicide
Source: Glass et al. (2008), Journal of Emergency Medicine, 35(3), 329–335. DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2007.02.065.
An important distinction: The study found approximately 648% higher odds of attempted homicide and 648% higher odds of completed homicide? No. The correct interpretation is that an odds ratio of 7.48 corresponds to 648% higher odds of completed homicide; an odds ratio of 6.70 corresponds to 570% higher odds of attempted homicide. These are relative odds in the study population, not an individual’s absolute probability of being murdered.