IFCO Parent Consultation Report Released

The majority of parents (57%) in the Republic of Ireland have allowed their children to watch a film that was classified for an older age group, according to a new report from the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO).
95% believe it is acceptable for a child under 12 to watch a 12A rated film, while 72% believe it is acceptable for a child under 15 to view a 15A rated film.
The findings are the result of a consultation between the IFCO and parents on the work undertaken by the Office.
The last survey on general attitudes was undertaken by the IFCO almost 10 years ago.
53% of parents said that they 'always' talk to their children about the films they watch, while 67% said their children agree with them more often than not in terms of what they should and shouldn't be allowed to watch.
22% of respondents said a child of theirs had been upset or stressed by the content of a film they have recently viewed.
The films most mentioned in this regard were 'Coraline' (PG), 'Paranorman' (PG), 'The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas' (12A) and 'The Hobbit' (12A).
82% disagreed with the statement 'there is no longer a need for film censorship'.
43% of felt natural nudity should be acceptable within the junior categories such as General, PG and 12A, with one parent noting: "To censor natural nudity seems wrong - it's teaching kids there is something wrong with your body."
One in three parents disagreed with the statement 'violence is less of a concern if it occurs in a comic or fantasy setting', while a large majority said stylised violence was acceptable within the junior categories.
A small majority of parents felt violence depicted in an educational or historical context was also more acceptable, with 39% agreeing and 36% disagreeing.
One parent said: "It depends on the context of the language used. If it's used in a violent way - where someone's being bullied - then you have to look at the rating."
Gerard Connolly, Acting Director of Film Classification, said: "Given the economic downturn, it has not been feasible to engage in cost incurring research conducted by third parties. Accordingly, we decided to carry out the task in-house, using existing resources and broadly mirroring the 2004 project. This enables us to better evaluate changes in perceptions and emphases.
"Building on this research, we will be extending our involvement with schools, making presentations to them about our work and getting feedback which is so valuable in the continuing development of the office. "
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(IT/JP)