Movie Ratings

Over the past 10 years, violence, sex, and profanity have increased significantly in movies, according to a recent study by the Kids Risk Project at the Harvard School of Public Health. This means that today's movies contain more violence, sex, and profanity on average than movies with the same rating did a decade ago. What do today's movie ratings mean? And what can you do to make sure a movie is appropriate for your kids?

Understanding the Movie Ratings
In 1968 the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) devised a rating system to help parents protect their children from mature material. Originally there were four ratings, but today there are five:

• G: "General Audience, All Ages Admitted." A film that contains no nudity, sexual content, drug use, or strong language. Violence is minimal and the theme of the movie is deemed appropriate for young children.
• PG: "Parental Guidance Suggested. Some Material May Not Be Suitable for Children." Some profanity, violence, or brief nudity may be in this movie, but no drug use.
• PG-13: "Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May be Inappropriate for Children Under 13." A movie with this rating includes violence, profanity, or sexual content that is intense enough that parents may not want to expose their younger children, but not so intense that it warrants an R rating. Any movie featuring drug use must get at least a PG-13 rating.
• R: "Restricted. Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian." Movies with this rating contain a high level of adult content, such as harsh profanity, intense violence, explicity sexual content, and extensive drug use.
• NC-17: "No One 17 and Under Admitted." This rating was originally called X and contains adult content that is more intense than the R rating.

Some Criticize Today's Ratings
Because the MPAA rating process is optional, filmmakers are not required to get their movies rated. Filmmakers who do not submit their movies to the ratings board are free to release their movie unrated or to apply any other rating system. As a result, there is no universal standardized rating system. The Harvard study concluded that the ratings board is becoming more lenient, all the more reason to create a universal standardized system by which all films are rated.

Substance Abuse in Films
The study also points out that, while the MPAA ratings acknowledges drug use, it does not indicate smoking as a factor in their rating system. In fact, 26 of the 51 G-rated films included some depiction of tobacco, alcohol, and/or drugs. 

How Appropriate are Animated Films?
The study also compared the amount of violence in non-animated and animated G-rated films and found a much higher amount of violence in animated films. The fact that a film is animated does not guarantee that it is appropriate for children. 

Know What Your Children are Watching
Parents should be aware that not all movies with the same rating contain the same type or amount of objectionable content. In addition, basing the rating on age doesn't take into account the maturity level of the child. Protect your child by finding out as much as you can before you go to the movies.