Season 4 Episode 3: The Silent Effects of Non-Fatal Strangulation: A Conversation with International Lived Experience Expert Nneka MacGregor
About This Episode
Strangulation attempts are a common element of domestic violence perpetrators’ patterns of behavior. Non-fatal strangulation has long been identified as a risk factor for domestic violence homicide. Less attention has been paid to the short-, medium-, and long-term effects of non-fatal strangulation on survivor functioning and well-being.
In this interview with Nneka MacGregor, Ruth and David discuss her research into the injuries, impact, and experiences of survivors who have experienced non-fatal strangulation. They address:
The specific impacts of non-fatal strangulation on memory loss, traumatic brain injury and increased risk for stroke and other health risks
How these symptoms and problems, when decontextualized from perpetrators’ assaults, can contribute to victim-blaming
How perpetrators of non-strangulation need to be held more accountable as parents for the impacts of their behavior
The siloed and often ineffective responses of professional responses to non-fatal strangulation
How professionals need to be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms of effects of non-fatal strangulation and listen to the voices of survivors about their experience
Nneka MacGregor is the co-founder and executive director of Womenatthecentre, a unique nonprofit created by and for women, trans, and gender-diverse survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) to champion survivor-led innovations in the domestic and family violence field. She is a Black intersectional abolitionist feminist, international speaker, and trainer. Nneka is also an expert advisory panel member of the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, sits on several advisory boards and committees, including the Federal Advisory Council on the Federal Strategy to Prevent and Address GBV, and co-founded the Black Femicide Canada Council.
Additional Resources
Safe & Together Institute’s domestic abuse–informed trainings
Safe & Together Institute’s upcoming events
David Mandel’s book Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers: How to Transform the Way We Keep Children Safe from Domestic Violence