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Strangulation Prevention E-Newsletter - 
Sept. 2017


A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO & PRESIDENT

Welcome to the first edition of Strangulation Prevention E-News. The Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention has launched this newsletter to provide you with the most current and succinct information about non-fatal and near-fatal strangulation assaults. We could not wait until the end of the year to share all the exciting news, tools, research and/or case law that is evolving in our work.  Our goal with E-News is to share important information regularly.  

Each E-News will focus on one subject, one organization or individual who inspires us and share one Featured Resource. This month we are focusing on Legislation, our National Advisory Board and our Featured Resource is our new Radiographic Imaging Guidelines .  

Each E-News will be archived in our Resource Library for easy reference and future use. We will also continue to share the best of the best during our annual "What We Learned" Webinar scheduled for January 9, 2018

Thank you for your commitment to this lifesaving work. 

-Gael Strack & Casey Gwinn  
LEGISLATIVE SNAPSHOT

Today, strangulation is recognized as one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence. We now have 45 states that have passed some form of a felony strangulation law. Some of our favorite statutes include: 
  • Mississippi Statute on Chest Pressure includes positional asphyxia by defining strangulation to include restricting the flow of oxygen or blood by intentionally applying pressure on the neck, throat or chest
  • California Strangulation Warning Law will require law enforcement officers to give victims a warning about the seriousness of non-fatal strangulation assaults (awaiting governor's signature).

It is not easy to pass new laws and it is even harder to implement new laws. We salute all the change agents in America who share our vision to bring awareness and education about non-fatal strangulation assaults. However, our work is not done. We have five states to go -Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, and South Carolina. This is also a great opportunity for some states to revisit their strangulation laws and improve them. We need new statutes that address the "choking game" in order to prevent innocent children from dying. Almost every county and city in America have anti-choking laws for pets. Why not bring the same awareness and education about the dangers of the choking game among children and teens? We can use your help. Please contact us if you would like to find out how your state can pass important strangulation laws.

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

We are very grateful to our National Advisory Board. Our Board includes experts, physicians, nurses, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, advocates, researchers and trainers from the United States who are listed on our website. Last August, we had an opportunity to meet, think and dream together. Together, we developed a 5-year plan for our Institute which was submitted to the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, read the report here. We currently have several committees working on many key issues. Our Medical Committee is led by Dr. Bill Smock. Our Legal Committee is led by Riverside County prosecutor Jerry Fineman. Our Law Enforcement Committee is led by Det. Mike Agnew. Our Research Committee is led by Dr. Jackie Campbell. This year our Medical Committee expanded to include additional physicians and forensic nurses. Together, they are working on pediatrics, pregnancy, case study collection, maintaining the strangulation bibliography, and much more. Is there is question you would like answered? We are happy to help. Contact us here.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Recommendations for the Medical/Radiographic Evaluation of Acute Adult, Non-Fatal Strangulation

One of the most exciting accomplishments that occurred during our last National Advisory Board Meeting was unanimous endorsement of our new imaging guidelines by Bill Smock, MD, Chair; Cathy Baldwin, MD; William Green, MD; Dean Hawley, MD; Ralph Riviello, MD; Heather Rozzi, MD; Steve Stapczynski, MD; Ellen Tailiaferro, MD; and Michael Weaver, MD. You can watch our webinar on the new Imaging Recommendations here and monitor the growing list of hospitals that are adopting the recommendations and providing the best care for victims who are strangled. 

Click Here to download
Medical Radiographic Imaging Recommendations

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 15 Los Altos Hills, CA
September 22 Ft. Stewart, GA
September 29 New Orleans, LA
October 2 Chambersburg, PA
October 4
Ft. Drum, NY
October 4-5 Okinawa, Japan
October 6 Wyoming Co, NY
October 13 Monterey, CA
October 24-27
Advanced Course - We are delighted to report the October Advanced Course is SOLD OUT. We will open up registration for the February 2018 Advanced Course soon! Watch our website for details. 
October 31 Loudoun Co, VA

Click here for a full list of upcoming events
This project is supported all or in part by Grant No. 2016-TA-AX-K067 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.