A recent study in the USA, The effectiveness of the motion picture association of America’s rating system in screening explicit violence and sex in top-ranked movies from 1950 to 2006, has revealed that the Motion Picture Association of America’s rating system does not reflect the level of violence and sexual imagery contained in a film.

This makes it very hard for parents to use the system as a guide when discussing movie choices with their children.

The Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) movie rating system (G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17) was developed in 1968 (PG-13 was added in 1984).

The study said “Youth exposure to explicit film violence and sex is linked to adverse health outcomes and is a serious public health concern. The Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA’s) rating system’s effectiveness in reducing youth exposure to harmful content has been questioned.”

The purpose of the study was to determine the MPAA’s rating system’s effectiveness in screening explicit violence and sex since the system’s initiation (1968) and the introduction of the PG-13 category (1984). Also, to examine evidence of less restrictive ratings over time (“ratings creep”).

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania reviewed 855 top-grossing movies from 1950 to 2006 for their content of violent and sexual behaviour. Trends in rating assignments and in the content of different rating categories since 1968 were assessed.

The study found that the explicitness of violent and sexual content significantly increased following the rating system’s initiation. The system did not differentiate violent content as well as sexual content, and ratings creep was only evident for violent films.

Explicit violence in R-rated films increased, while films that would previously have been rated R were increasingly assigned to PG-13. This pattern was not evident for sex; only R-rated films exhibited higher levels of explicit sex compared to pre-ratings period.

The study concluded that “While relatively effective for screening explicit sex, the rating system has allowed increasingly violent content into PG-13 films, thereby increasing youth access to more harmful content. Assignment of films in the current rating system should be more sensitive to the link between violent media exposure and youth violence.”

These findings suggest that the MPAA rating system fails as a guide for parents on 2 counts:

  1. Movies with different ratings have similar violent content.
  2. Increasingly explicit violence is required to warrant more restrictive ratings – ratings creep, such that movies rated as PG-13 are now as violent as movies rated R-rated released 20 years ago.

This study provides support for the American Academy of Pediatrics call for a universal rating system for all types of media.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: Nalkur PG et al. The effectiveness of the Motion Picture Association of America’s rating system in screening explicit violence and sex in top-ranked movies from 1950 to 2006. J Adolesc Health 2010 Nov; 47:440.