Debunking domestic violence myths

Presentation aims to raise awareness of special month

LANCASTER — Registered nurse Bridget Amis, the manager of Antelope Valley Hospital’s Forensic Services Unit, explained the five myths of strangulation as part of a presentation to raise awareness of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The free community event, presented by Valley Oasis, was held, Friday morning, at Desert Vineyard Church.

The first myth is that strangulation and choking are the same thing. They are not; strangulation is external pressure that impedes either air or blood flow.

Strangulation is a scary word, and victims do not always use the word, Amis said, so she will ask them if there was any pressure on their neck.

“They can relate to that and that’s not as scary a word as strangulation,” Amis said. “That sounds scary, they tell me when I’ve used it. I’m like, absolutely. He tried to kill you.”

Amis explained the anatomy of the neck with a graphic that showed the vital neck structures of the arteries, veins and cartilage. She next explained how long it takes to lose consciousness when pressure is applied to the neck.

“Five to 10 seconds of pressure here, you can actually lose consciousnesses,” Amis said as she put her hands on her neck.

It takes five to six pounds per square inch to occlude the jugular vein and block blood from leaving the head; it takes 11 pounds per square inch to occlude the carotid; and 30 pounds per square inch to occlude the trachea.

By comparison, it takes about 20 pounds per square

inch to open a soda can. A typical male handshake is between 80 and 100 pounds per square inch.

“It doesn’t take much to occlude these vessels,” Amis said. “It doesn’t take much to lose consciousness and sometimes you don’t even know you’ve lost consciousness.”

The second myth Amis dispelled is that strangulation always leaves visible injuries.

“Only about half the time,” Amis said. “And even with no visible injuries, you can still die; there’s swelling, bleeding underneath.”

Amis recalled one case where the strangulation victim died four days later.

The third myth Amis corrected is that if a victim can speak, scream or breath, they are not being strangled.

“You can scream, you can breathe, but you don’t feel like because you’re not getting oxygen to your brain,” Amis said. “People can have complete obstruction and continue to breathe until the moment they die because they’re not getting that oxygen to their brain.”

Amis discussed the strangulation injuries that can be seen, such as petechiae, the bursting of blood vessels that cause small red or purple spots caused by bleeding into the skin. It can be found on roof of the mouth, behind the ears, scalp and eyes.

Symptoms of strangulation include a scratchy voice, headache and sore neck.

Another myth Amis dispelled is that strangulation cannot be harmful because many people practice it, such as in the martial arts, military and law enforcement.

“The number of incidents of death from strangulation, even in supervised sporting events and training, is high,” Amis said.

The final myth Amis debunked is that strangulation victims should be able to recall details about their attack.

“Trauma impacts the brain’s ability to store memories,” Amis said.

Victims lose brain cells each time they are strangled; the injured brain cells die off. Some victims have been so traumatized and injured that they cannot form new memories.

“No injury does not mean there can’t be fatal consequences later,” she said. “You can die and they don’t even know until they do the autopsy that it was through strangulation.”

Injuries and potential injuries may not be identified by the victim of their family and friends. Bruising may not show up for a few days. A full assessment may include X-rays and a CT (computed tomography) scan of the neck.

Brian Johnson, program director of Valley Oasis 60 Day Emergency Domestic Violence Shelter, said it is important to get the awareness out of what domestic violence is.

“A lot of people believe that domestic violence is just physical; it is not just physical so we talk about the emotional, the mental and even the spiritual aspect of domestic violence and what they can do it they see something,” Johnson said.

Johnson encouraged anyone in a domestic violence situation to call 911. When they need shelter, he encouraged them to call the Valley Oasis hotline at 661-9486736.

The event also included a presentation by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy Laurence Green, who talked about domestic violence from the law enforcement perspective, and Valley Oasis CEO Carol Crabson.