Unpacking ‘rough sex’ and the eroticisation of sexual choking/strangulation

Criminal Law in Lund Seminar Series Autumn 2025:
Unpacking ‘rough sex’ and the eroticisation of sexual choking/strangulation

‘Rough sex’ is experiencing a cultural moment and has become an increasingly common term in everyday language. Depictions of ‘rough’ sexual behaviours – such as hair pulling, slapping, and sexual choking/strangulation – are now common portrayals in
contemporary movies, men’s and women’s lifestyle magazines, and popular song lyrics.

Rough sexual behaviours are also eroticised in freely available mainstream pornography. Recent research highlights how rough sex and sexual choking/strangulation has become a common sexual repertoire, particularly among young adults, with some people
describing rough sex as a playful, consensual aspect of their sexual lives. For others, behaviours that might be understood as ‘rough’ are experienced as violence, and rough sex has become a defining feature in many sexual violence cases and intimate partner
homicides. 

This seminar will trace the emergence of the term ‘rough sex’, highlight what is known about ‘rough sex’ to date, and critically interrogate the implications of a rise in ‘rough sex’ in everyday social and sexual landscapes. This seminar underscores the need for ongoing attention to the potential harms associated with rough sex and sexual choking as emerging sexual practices, particularly in relation to criminal justice system responses and violence prevention efforts.

Dr Samantha Keene is a Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Criminology at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. She is the author of recent book ‘Pornography, rough sex and gendered harm: Just sex on screen? 

Please e-mail linnea [dot] wegerstad [at] jur [dot] lu [dot] se to sign up for the seminar.
Sandwiches will be served. The seminar is supported by Rune och Lena Lavins stiftelse.