Prevalence and Characteristics of Nonfatal Strangulation in Medical Forensic Examination: A Retrospective Chart Review, 2017–2023

Chelsea C. Knutson; Patricia Carter; Carol A. Carman; Nancy R. Downing; Patricia Blair; Stephanie E. Meyers

doi:10.1177/10778012251397979

Prevalence and Characteristics of Nonfatal Strangulation in Medical Forensic Examination: A Retrospective Chart Review, 2017–2023

Chelsea C. Knutson
, Patricia Carter
, Carol A. Carman
, Nancy R. Downing
, Patricia Blair
, Stephanie E. Meyers

School of Nursing

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined prevalence and characteristics of nonfatal strangulation (NFS) in medical forensic examinations from 2017 to 2023. A retrospective chart review of 1,396 records revealed 243 NFS cases (17.4%), prevalence increasing from 13.3% in 2017 to 22.2% in 2023. Adult NFS comprised 15.2% of cases, children 2.2%. Analysis of the NFS group revealed partner/spouse perpetrators were most common overall. Children were most commonly victimized by friends/acquaintances. NFS disproportionately affected females (94.2% of all NFS cases). Among children experiencing NFS, minority groups were overrepresented, accounting for 74.2% of pediatric NFS cases. The COVID-19 period showed distinct changes in age-related patterns.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	5372-5387
Number of pages	16
Journal	Violence Against Women
Volume	32
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012251397979
State	Accepted/In press - 2025

Keywords

domestic violence
forensic medicine
forensic nursing
intimate partner violence
medical forensic examination
nonfatal strangulation
physical assault
prevalence
retrospective chart review
sexual assault
sexual assault nurse examiner

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Gender Studies
Sociology and Political Science
Law

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10.1177/10778012251397979

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title = "Prevalence and Characteristics of Nonfatal Strangulation in Medical Forensic Examination: A Retrospective Chart Review, 2017{\textendash}2023",

abstract = "This study examined prevalence and characteristics of nonfatal strangulation (NFS) in medical forensic examinations from 2017 to 2023. A retrospective chart review of 1,396 records revealed 243 NFS cases (17.4\%), prevalence increasing from 13.3\% in 2017 to 22.2\% in 2023. Adult NFS comprised 15.2\% of cases, children 2.2\%. Analysis of the NFS group revealed partner/spouse perpetrators were most common overall. Children were most commonly victimized by friends/acquaintances. NFS disproportionately affected females (94.2\% of all NFS cases). Among children experiencing NFS, minority groups were overrepresented, accounting for 74.2\% of pediatric NFS cases. The COVID-19 period showed distinct changes in age-related patterns.",

keywords = "domestic violence, forensic medicine, forensic nursing, intimate partner violence, medical forensic examination, nonfatal strangulation, physical assault, prevalence, retrospective chart review, sexual assault, sexual assault nurse examiner",

author = "Knutson, \{Chelsea C.\} and Patricia Carter and Carman, \{Carol A.\} and Downing, \{Nancy R.\} and Patricia Blair and Meyers, \{Stephanie E.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).",

year = "2025",

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language = "English (US)",

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AU - Downing, Nancy R.

AU - Blair, Patricia

AU - Meyers, Stephanie E.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

PY - 2025

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KW - prevalence

KW - retrospective chart review

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KW - sexual assault nurse examiner

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Prevalence and Characteristics of Nonfatal Strangulation in Medical Forensic Examination: A Retrospective Chart Review, 2017–2023

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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