BBFC ratings.

The BBFC the British board of film is an independent body that classify films, trailers, adverts, music videos, educational videos.

They Classify these films according to the content they contain with an age rating, this helps cinemas, tv channels and video hosting websites decide what adverts to play in front of these films that would be most suited to the audience watching the film and also makes sure there is not an irrelevant advert playing, for example a children’s movie trailer playing before a horror film is shown, this would make no sense and would not be beneficial for the cinema and the advertiser.

However, the BBFC’s main objective is to prevent children from seeing sights like sex, violence and drug abuse at a young age as this could be bad for the children and affect their mental health. It could also cause the children to behave differently if they are exposed to this kind of content. The BBFC’s job is to prevent children from seeing sights they should not.

Below are the classifications for the BBFC’s age ratings.

U Universal – Suitable for all

A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over, although it is impossible to predict what might upset any child. U films should be set within a positive framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

U films may include: drugs but must have a clear educational purpose and be anti-drugs, dangerous or anti-social behaviour which young children may copy would not be allowed in a U film, only mild language usage, nudity with no sexual context, only mild sexual behaviour, mild threatening scenes, and only mild playful violence.

PG Parental Guidance

A PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older.

This classification of film may include: Discrimination; only if it’s in historical context with no likely appeal to children, references to drugs with a clear anti-drug message, Imitable behaviour; no detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy, language; Mild bad language only, There may be nudity with no sexual context, Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent, parts of the film where characters are in danger should not be dragged out or intense and Violence will usually be mild.

12A/12 – Suitable for 12 years and over

Films classified 12A and video works classified 12 contain material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12.

12 and 12a films may include: Misuse of drugs must be infrequent, and should not be glamorised, no promotion of potentially dangerous behaviour which children are likely to copy, there may be moderate language. Strong language may be permitted depending how it’s used, there may be nudity in a sexual way but must be brief and discreet, sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed, there may be moderate physical and psychological threat and horror sequences but should not last for long, there may be moderate violence, but it should not dwell on detail and discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole.

15 – Suitable only for 15 years and over

No one younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema.

This classification may include: There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending how it is used, there are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context, sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, however the references must not be too strong, there may be strong threat and horror however too much and the film may not be accepted, Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury, The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, Drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse (for example, through instructional detail) and dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail.

18 – Suitable only for adults

No one younger than 18 may see an 18 film in a cinema.

The main restrictions of an 18 are: where the material is in breach of the criminal law or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence. 18’s may also include: sex material that genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality or safer sex and health as well as this all of the violence is allowed and anything in a previous age rating is allowed in an 18.