Comparing police officers with and without strangulation training on perceptions of strangulation as a risk for intimate partner violence and the importance of medical-forensic exams

Purpose Strangulation is one of the strongest predictors of future intimate partner femicide. As first responders who may be the only point of contact for a survivor, it is imperative that police officers are trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of strangulation, particularly because few survivors show visible injuries and many do not seek healthcare. The current study assessed strangulation knowledge among police officers in British Columbia, Canada. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from two samples of frontline police officers with and without strangulation training. Findings Police officers in both samples rated strangulation as a high-risk factor for revictimization. The samples differed significantly in their understanding of the importance of a medical-forensic examination for various signs and symptoms of strangulation. Practical implications The results indicate that police officers understand the high risk posed by a victim-survivor’s strangulation, although training is needed to enhance their responses to the signs and symptoms of strangulation. The results highlight the importance of providing frontline police officers with training on IPV strangulation and including IPV strangulation in the risk assessment tools used by police. Originality/value Limited research has examined police officers’ knowledge of and responses to strangulation or the effects of strangulation training.