Four in five parents trust the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) to provide reliable age ratings for cinema, according to research published in the office’s annual report on Monday.
The research project was undertaken as part of a review of the organisation’s strategy, and sought feedback from parents and teenagers with a focus on social concerns, cultural changes and attitudes to depictions of sexual violence, suicide and self-harm.
The findings indicate that 88 per cent of parents evaluate the sample IFCO.ie content as useful, however, there was uncertainty around the 12A and 15A film ratings, and what these mean in practise. Films classified 12A and 15A have been deemed appropriate for viewers aged 12 or 15 and over, but can also be seen by younger children provided they are accompanied by an adult who has deemed the film appropriate for the child.
The most concerning areas for parents were on screen violence, discrimination and derogatory representation; sexual violence, suicide, and the portrayal of young people. Bullying was, in particular, perceived as an area that could be treated in a more educational or supportive manner.
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Among teenagers, these were also the areas where guidance and boundaries were most needed, the survey found, along with content that can be seen to impact on mental health.
Triggering content
Overall, the teenagers surveyed said they would like to see less focus on age classification and more emphasis on alerting them to triggering content to help them make their own decisions about what is or is not suitable for them to watch.
Some 76 per cent of parents surveyed agreed with the statement that “I am concerned about the effect that viewing inappropriate content might have on my children’s mental well-being”.
Separately, the annual report showed a total of 438 films were certified for cinema release in Ireland last year. This is an increase of 52 per cent on the previous year and is indicative of the Irish cinema industry returning to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels of theatrical release.
There were no decisions appealed to the Classification of Films Appeal Board last year.
On demand
The total number of DVD titles certified was 1,511, a decrease of 26 per cent on the previous year which is in line with the “increasing contraction of the DVD market in the context of the rise” of streaming and on demand platforms, the report said.
Irish cinema box office revenues also showed significant recovery last year. At more than €92 million, they were at some 75 per cent of their pre-pandemic peak of €119.7 million, which was recoded in 2019. Further growth is projected this year, IFCO said.
The report was published as a public consultation on the office’s draft strategy statement for 2023-2025 commenced. IFCO is calling on members of the public to have their say in the future focus of the office, with August 1st the closing date for submissions. The final strategy statement will be published in the autumn.
