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New Study Finds
Movie Rating System Deficient
A new study from the UCLA School of Public Health, An
Evaluation of the Motion Picture Association of America's
Treatment of Violence in PG-, PG-13-, and R-Rated Films,
reveals that the Motion Picture Association of America's
(MPAA) rating system does not accurately predict the
frequency of violence in movies. In fact, some movies
rated PG contain as much violence as those rated R.
The study examined the 100 top-grossing American
films of 1994, established by the Hollywood Reporter,
and found that the total average number of violent
acts for each rating category increased from PG (14
acts) to PG-13 (20) to R (32). However, the study
also shows the MPAA rating system does not accurately
predict the frequency of violence in individual movies.
According to the study, PG films contained anywhere
from one act of violence to 97 acts of violence. R-rated
films contained a similar range from one to 110 acts
of violence.
These findings underscore the need to find out about
the content of a film before deciding if it is appropriate
for your child.
The study was published in the May issue of the journal
Pediatrics and was funded by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
For additional information about An Evaluation
of the Motion Picture Association of America's Treatment
of Violence in PG-, PG-13-, and R-Rated Films,
you can visit http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/115/5/e512.
For Kidscore movie ratings and reviews from the National
Institute on Media and the Family see our website
at www.mediafamily.org.
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