By Dr Joel McGregor, ANZSOC Newsletter Coordinator
In Summary:
The term ‘rough sex’ has become a common part of everyday language. Despite its prevalence, there is still limited understanding of how people define and experience ‘rough sex.’
Dr Samantha Keene, with support from the ANZSOC Local Event Support Scheme, hosted a symposium that aimed to raise awareness about the risks associated with the rise in practices such as ‘rough sex,’ ‘choking,’ and strangulation.
Samantha reflects upon how support from ANZSOC facilitated vital conversations with academics, policymakers, educators, police, and healthcare professionals.
Today, we are witnessing a significant shift in sexual norms and practices through the emergence of ‘rough sex’. The term ‘rough sex’ has seeped into our everyday vernacular and features in the plotlines of popular novels, contemporary movies, Netflix TV shows, contemporary music, and mainstream pornography. Despite the emergence of ‘rough sex’ as an umbrella term, we know very little about what people consider ‘rough sex’ to be or how it is experienced.
What we do know is that ‘rough sex’, especially sexual choking/strangulation, has become an increasingly common sexual practice globally, particularly among young people. The increasing prevalence of behaviours that are known risk factors for escalating violence in intimate relationships, such as choking/strangulation, solidifies the place of ‘rough sex’ and sexual ‘choking’ on the criminological agenda.
Alongside colleagues from Medical and Sexual Assault Clinicians Aotearoa, The Light Project and the University of Auckland, we were privileged to host a large, cross-sector symposium on ‘rough sex’, ‘choking’ and strangulation at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington on Friday 29 November.
The symposium built on conversations from the 2022 National Sexual Violence Conference about the increasing normalisation of ‘rough sex’ that is taking place both here in Aotearoa and across the globe. When we began planning for this event, we expected that we might have a small audience of around 40-50 people, but this quickly grew to an audience of over 200 from across Aotearoa and Australia. This was, in part, because we were able to offer a full programme on the day, with over 20 diverse presenters, including academics, medical clinicians, police, community sector representatives, and a youth panel.
This symposium was an opportunity to bring academics together with policy makers, educators, police, doctors and the general public with a view to raise awareness about the risks associated with a rise in ‘rough sex’, ‘choking’ and strangulation. The symposium received an abundance of positive feedback, with many people highlighting the need for continued research, education and awareness about the realities of rough sex encounters, particularly for young people.
The sheer number of people that attended this event highlights the urgency of attending to the complexities and nuances associated with ‘rough sex’, ‘choking’ and strangulation which are increasingly forming part of our everyday social and sexual landscapes.
The connections built during this symposium will result in both academic publications and the development of resources for those working in this field. It is our hope that this symposium will be able to be repeated in the future, with a view to a public campaign about the health and criminal justice implications relating to rough sex.
We are immensely grateful for the financial support provided through the ANZSOC Local Event Scheme which helped make this event a reality. We hope that this symposium will stimulate research into ‘rough sex’, as well as contribute to policy development and reform in Aotearoa New Zealand.
ANZSOC provides funding via the Local Event Support Scheme of up to $1,000 for individual activities that support and promote criminology in Australia and New Zealand. Applications are accepted throughout the year, by or before the first Thursday of each month, with guidelines and an application form found here.
Dr Samantha Keene (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer/Pukenga Matua in Criminology in the School of Social and Cultural Studies at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington.
