The Short Answer
- Future partners can absolutely be in danger
- It is not “just that relationship”
- Strangulation is a marker of a high-risk abuser, not a one-off loss of control
Why Strangulation Is Different
Strangulation isn’t an impulsive shove or shouted argument. It is:
- A deliberate act
- A control behavior
- A willingness to bring someone to the edge of death
Research consistently shows that non-fatal strangulation is one of the strongest predictors of future severe violence and homicide. Once someone has crossed that line, the risk profile changes permanently.
Is It the Situation or the Person?
It is the person.
People who strangle:
- Use violence to regain control
- Escalate under stress, loss, or challenge
- Are more likely to repeat this behavior across relationships
- Often minimise, deny, or reframe it afterward (“I just snapped,” “You pushed me,” “It was stress”)
The situation may change.
The pattern usually does not.
What This Means for Future Partners
A person who has strangled one partner has demonstrated:
- Capacity for lethal violence
- Willingness to override another person’s survival instinct
- A belief (even briefly) that they are entitled to that level of control
That risk does not reset with a new partner.
Future partners may be:
- Initially idealised
- Told “my ex was crazy”
- Assured “I’d never do that again”
But when control is threatened again — separation, illness, boundaries, money, rejection — the same danger can reappear.
A Critical Truth Many People Miss
Strangulation is not about anger.
It is about power and dominance.
Someone who chooses it is not “out of control with everyone” —
they are selectively violent when it serves control.
That selectivity is what makes it dangerous.
Bottom Line
- Strangulation is a red-line behavior
- It predicts future serious harm
- It places current and future partners at risk
- It is about the abuser — not the relationship
If this question connects to something personal for you, you’re not overreacting. Your instinct is accurate.
