US study shows that 80% of respondents are most concerned with their children seeing graphic sex scenes

A new survey has found that US parents are more concerned with their children seeing graphic sex than graphic violence in films.

The 2015 Parents Ratings Advisory Study found that 80% of respondents are most worried about films that contain graphic sex scenes compared with 64% who worry about graphic violence. More than half of parents are unhappy with the use of the F-word in PG-13 movies.

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The survey was commissioned by the Classification and Rating Administration (Cara) to see if their decisions aligned with what parents thought appropriate.

“Like any good system that is meant to endure, ours is one that evolves to reflect changes in social standards that happen over time,” Cara chairman Joan Graves said. “We will continue to seek feedback from America’s parents to ensure that we are meeting our purpose to inform parents and doing the best job that we can on their behalf.”

The study also found the top concerns to be full male nudity (72%), the use of hard drugs (70%), full female nudity (70%), marijuana use (59%), horror violence (59%), non-graphic sex scenes (57%), suggestive sexual innuendo (57%) and partial nudity (47%).

The release of the report follows Michael Moore’s failed attempt to overturn the R rating attached to his new documentary Where to Invade Next. The classification, which would mean that anyone under 17 would have to be accompanied by an adult, was given because the film had more than one use of the F-word and brief graphic nudity.

In a series of tweets he claimed the MPAA, who decide on ratings in the US, are afraid of “sex, drugs, truth”.