Do you want to know how the BBFC decide age ratings, and what's right for your children to view? Ask their expert - £300 voucher to be won

[EllieMumsnet]

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has been responsible for age ratings for cinema for over a hundred years. Their classification symbols U, PG, 12A, 12, 15, 18 are well known to parents and children, and are used on DVD and Blu-ray, and increasingly on video on demand platforms like Netflix. Their decisions are based on a large scale public consultation, which takes place every four-five years and reflects changes in public mood. This month, the new Classification Guidelines - which sets out what is acceptable at each age category - are going live. Findings include heightened concern from parents and teachers around online content and a clear desire for more consistency, when it comes to age ratings and information, across all platforms. If you would like to find out more about the new guidelines please click here.

So, the BBFC’s Head of Education, Lucy Brett, is here to answer any of your questions.

Here’s what BBFC have to say: “Over the last five years the way we consume film and video has changed beyond all recognition. That's why it's so important that there is consistency between what people watch on and offline. Our research shows that both parents and teenagers want us to give them the information and guidance that they need to view what's right for them. We're here to listen to what people want, which is why they trust our age ratings.”

Here is a bit more information on Lucy Brett: “Lucy Brett is the BBFC’s Head of Education, and heads up the BBFC’s education programme. Ever year she speaks to thousands of children, teenagers and parents across every corner of the UK. Lucy hears directly about the concerns that young people have about films, how they would like classification to work and what the BBFC should be flagging and thinking about when making decisions. Lucy is also a mum of two, and her favourite film is True Grit”

Do you have a question for Lucy? Do you want to know what teachers think to age ratings? Do you have any questions about specific content that your child might have watched? Or maybe you have specific questions about what sort of content you might see in a 15?

Whatever your questions around the BBFC’s guidelines, post them below and we will choose 10 in total for Lucy to answer. Everyone who posts their questions will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

I would really like YouTube to be pre approved. I won’t let my children watch videos anymore until I have watched it first. So if I’m the kids YouTube all the videos were pre approved before being posted that would be great

What are the best ways to explain the system to children so they understand the logic behind it and don't just view it as another parental control mechanism?

Hi everyone.
I’ve got a question. My daughter’s school have forbidden the parents bringing pack lunches from home for the kids. Instead they all have to choose the hot meals or pack lunches from the catering company they’re using. Is it even allowed? I want to make my own pack lunch for my daughter cause she’s not very keen on school’s food. Thanks

I was very surprised when watching Darkest Hour that a swear word was used as it is a PG rating. Is this really appropriate?

Can you make recommendations based on background behaviours as well as those in the forefront? Ie casual sexism in Monster house and bullying too. Had to switch off after 10 mins and my child was disappointed about it. I felt misled about it’s appropriateness based on the age rating.

Yes I know Foodylicious. ! Really distressing to watch, my 12 year old would have had nightmares if she’d seen it. She is 14 now and still wouldn’t cope with it. I am astonished that it has a 12 rating.

Could ratings take into account the type of violence and the overall message in the film - I've been appalled at the way violence towards women is often so casual and so frequent, almost as a theme, but the fact it's not extreme or sexual violence seems to excuse it from a higher rating. The message of that violence is pernicious and socially destructive.

I have always wanted to work for the BBFC classifying films - I remember seeing a recruitment ad while I was still at university, but have never seen one since! How many people do you employ to check all the films, and how many films do you have to classify each year?

Is there a possibility of linking up with Common Sense Media? I use them and wasn't even aware of the BBFC website - when comparing both for Wonder Woman, BBFC tells me very little of worth. Crowd sourcing opinions has worked well for Common Sense Media and gives a good variety of views.

We go to the cinema regularly with our 11 year old. There has been a speight recently of 15 certificate movies being trailed at screenings of 12A movies. It’s very misleading- is this a BBFC issue or Cineworld issue?

Are there any penalties for cinemas allowing children under the age limit in to see a particular film?

Some films in the cinema are rated 18, yet come out of the cinema and are only deemed 15. What’s the reasoning behind this?

Is the intent in a scene taken into account? Eg it seems that consensual loving sex and violent rape both lead to 15/18 ratings - glimpse of man's buttocks, sounds implying penetration, tick.

Compared to the 1960s, I think there's been a huge shift in attitudes and most parents would prefer clear consensual sexual activity being shown or at least implied more often, and coercive, violent, or tricked sex shown less, requiring higher ratings.

How do you categorise violence - eg is one gruesome, in-detail grisly death rated the same as a superhero spraying a whole crowd of baddies with bullets?

My kids now watch all their films and programmes through YouTube or Netflix. My 15 year old can't be as easily monitored as my younger child but knows he can't watch anything with an 18 rating.

Recently though he has watched some stuff I'm really not happy about and as others here have said I want to know if it is possible for the BBFC to give an advisory or to rate content especially films and documentaries with an American classification?

Could the BBFC be expanded and apply their expertise to other platforms such as social media, online gaming, games etc?

Do you ever 'reclassify' older films due to the content?

Who are the people who decide on the film classification? What is their background, and experience?

Given that you mention achieving consistency between on and offline viewing, will sites such as YouTube become part of the classifications or reviewed in any other way?

I don't find the classifications particularly helpful. Personally I don't want my DD watching overly violent or sexual content and would like to avoid gratuitous swearing. I've seen many PG and 12A films which definitely wouldn't be appropriate but others are completely fine. Do you agree? Is it time to revisit the classifications and maybe use a traffic light system on content and language instead like food labels with salt, sugar, fat etc?

I think that age rating had to be applied across all media platforms. Common sense media has a good steer on this

Do a range of people from different cultural backgrounds/ages/occupations have a say?

Does this company also apply to YouTube, Netflix?

How are the ratings decided? Obviously, different children develop at different ages, but it's adults at the BBFC that decide. i.e. my six year old watches 'Only Fools and Horses' with me (the box set is rated 12, however, most albeit two are PG. Yet I remember watching Batman when I was 14 (I'm 30 now), and it terrified me and gave me nightmares (in particular the scene where Penguin bites someones nose off - I still won't watch it), and it's a 12 where as I would have put it at a 15. Do the BBFC have children of various ages? Which may help them gage how their child might react. I was quite a 'young' 12 whereas some of my classmates were more of a 'mature' 12.

I do think there has been a change in the level of violence in 12a films. Way too much.

There seems to be a bizarre attitude to animated films, so that they can show all kinds of things that would be a 15 if live action. I can’t think how it’s justified, children distinguish between the two and graphics are much improved.