Join MCASA on September 10, 2026, from 2:00 - 3:30 pm (EST) for our Virtual Campus Training Session #1: Sexual Choking Health Risks and Harm Reduction: Strategies for Working with College Students, featuring expert trainers from the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom!
About the Training
Erotic choking, sometimes called erotic asphyxiation or breath play, is the intentional restriction of oxygen or blood flow to the brain during sexual activity. It is often portrayed in mainstream media and pornography as non-harmful and expected practice among young adults, however we know that any form of strangulation or breathing restriction is incredibly dangerous, often illegal, and connected to sexual violence. The prevalence of sexual choking is on the rise among young adults. Survey data from the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom finds that 27% of people reported the first time they engaged in sexual choking to be within the age range of 18-24. Survey responses also showed that nearly half of participants did not receive information about safety or consent prior to choking or being choked for the first time. These findings point to programmatic opportunities for correcting misinformation and enhancing risk awareness among the young adults we work with.
This session will help campus and community educators, preventionists, and practitioners counter harmful narratives about erotic choking, recognize the link to sexual violence, and have conversations around harm-reduction with college students.
After attending this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify the differences between choking and strangulation and describe why proper terminology is critical when responding to survivors of sexual violence.
- Explain the health risks involved in sexual choking
- Discuss the misinformation around sexual choking, including consent misperceptions
- Understand harm-reduction approaches that can be incorporated into prevention education with college students
About the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is the only national advocacy group for consenting adults who engage in kink and nonmonogamy. NCSF assists groups and businesses when they are discriminated against by local authorities, along with individuals who experience discrimination or a consent violation in an alt-sex context. NCSF's Education Outreach Project presents workshops on consent and Cultural Competency webinars for professionals, and all resource materials are free. The Kink and Polyamory Aware Professionals list is also free to access referrals to professionals, or to list your services. Become a free Associate Member of NCSF and stay up to date with our quarterly newsletter and Media Updates.
Training Information
- This training is free and will occur in Eastern Standard Time.
- Upon registering, you will see a screen that says your registration is pending. After your registration details are approved, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom with the login information.
- Certificates of Attendance, which include Social Work CEU hours, may be requested after the training whether you attend live or watch the recording.
- You can expect to receive your Certificate of Attendance within 5-6 weeks of submitting the Certificate Request Form.
MCASA’s Virtual Campus Training Series is a 6-part webinar series, hosted every year from September to April. These training sessions are tailored to college and university staff, as well as community advocates and other service providers, who do sexual assault prevention and response work with college and university students. Facilitated by a combination of MCASA staff and national experts, these workshops explore important and trending topics impacting student sexual assault survivors. You can find past Virtual Campus Training sessions on MCASA's website or YouTube Channel.
