WENDY FRANCIS, spokesperson for women at the Australian Christian Lobby, says it’s time for reform of Australia’s classification system…
There’s a current billboard campaign in Australia that our classifiers should take to heart. It simply says “UNSEE THIS!”. It’s clever marketing. And it should also serve as a serious warning.
In many cases, what our children see, they cannot ‘unsee’. And when what they see is gratuitous violence or sexual imagery and ideas, they can be both scared and scarred. For some, what they see can steer them in a direction of addiction and misery.
UNSEE THIS: Wendy Francis says that given what children see, they cannot ‘unsee’, it’s time for reform of Australia’s classification system. PICTURE: Wendy Francis
“When R ratings were introduced in Australia, parents were assured this would protect children from extremely violent and/or sexual material. But this has failed spectacularly, and our children are being let down.”
Our children have a God-given right to innocence and they deserve to be kept safe from adult concepts. Extensive research continues to show that children are adversely affected by being exposed to media which includes violence and/or is sexually explicit. In relation to the effect that media violence has on children, the Australian Psychological Society says there it contributes to aggressive behaviour, to anxiety about becoming a victim and to callousness with respect to the impact of violence on others. It’s not rocket science.
The Australian Classification Board is a statutory body which makes classification decisions for films, computer games and certain publications. Australians expect our classification system to accurately guide consumers as to what to expect from the product.
When R ratings were introduced in Australia, parents were assured this would protect children from extremely violent and/or sexual material. But this has failed spectacularly, and our children are being let down.
According to the National Classification Code, R18+ is the classification assigned to films that ‘are unsuitable for a minor to see’. This is clearly the case with latest Hollywood blockbuster Logan. And yet Australian classifiers have rated Logan MA15+ which signifies extreme violence but allows children to watch if they are accompanied by someone 18 years old or older.
Disclaimer – I have not seen the movie, nor do I have any desire to. However, adults are free to choose to watch it.
If, like me, you haven’t seen the movie, I apologise if this description of the movie is graphic. Much of the movie’s extreme violence involves a child. In the very first scene, a character is stabbed in the face and another man’s arm is sliced off. The movie spews blood, chunks of flesh and even a decapitated head with a dangling jaw. Blades puncture skulls in every angle imaginable. There is torture and hunting of children.
Deborra-Lee Furness, wife of Hugh Jackman who stars in Logan, has stated publicly that their children, Oscar 16 and Ava 11, will not be allowed to see their father’s latest movie as it is aimed at mature audiences for a reason.
Yet here in Australia, children are going to see this movie. They are going with older brothers, or parents, or friends. And our classification system allows this. Parents have a responsibility for their children – yes! But so does the classification board. This film is obviously not suitable for children – where is the R rating?
But the classification system is more than just about movies. In Australia we still have magazines being sold openly in newsagents that promote explicit violence against women as somehow funny or entertaining. There are video games sold and promoted which allow the player to terrorise society or to sadistically harm women.
Legislation and regulations have a significant effect on what we think is acceptable what isn’t. Changes in legislation create an awareness that permeates through culture – we drive slower in the suburbs, we no longer smoke in trains or shopping centres, and we frown on drinking and driving.
The silence on the issue of the innocence of our children is deafening. It is a simple case of adult rights verses what is in our children’s best interests.
There is an obvious overarching problem with the brokenness of our classification system which is a long-running issue. The Federal Government can, and must fix it for the sake of our children. And we need to call on them to do it – sooner rather than later. There is too much at stake.
To appeal a classification decision, head to http://www.classification.gov.au/Guidelines/Pages/FAQ-making-a-complaint.aspx.
To make a complaint about an advertisement on a billboard or shop window, head to https://adstandards.com.au/lodge-complaint
Wendy Francis is the Australian Christian Lobby‘s spokesperson for women.
