New research shows spike in profanity and violence in TV content rated appropriate for kids

In a new research report released this week, the Parents Television Council found that there is substantially more profanity and violence in youth-rated shows now than 10 years ago, but that increase has not changed the age-based content ratings the networks apply.

The PTC’s research found that programs rated TV-PG contained on average 28 percent more violence and 43.5 percent more profanity in 2017-18 than in 2007-08. There was 1.5 times more violence, and 62 percent more profanity, on programs rated TV-14 in 2017-2018 than in 2007-2008. (Read full report here.)

In May 2019, the Federal Communications Commission released a report to Congress that detailed ongoing concerns about the accuracy of the TV Parental Guidelines. That report included previous complaints from PTC that content ratings are often misleading or outright deceptive and that television programs with graphic violence and gun violence are too often rated as appropriate for children. Other concerns detailed in the FCC report included Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) contention that graphic sexual scenes, violence and other mature content are routinely rated as appropriate for children

In its release of its own study this week, the PTC stated that in the five months since the FCC released its report to Congress, the television industry — which is currently responsible for rating its own programs — has done nothing to address the concerns about the ineffective rating system. The PTC is now calling on Congress to ensure that the TV content ratings system, and the TV Parental Guidelines Oversight Monitoring Board, is overhauled to improve the accuracy, consistence, transparency and public accountability of the TV ratings.

The current TV Parental Guidelines contain both age and content-based ratings. The age-based ratings are: TV-Y (all children); TV-Y7 (directed to older children – age 7 and older); TV-G (general audience); TV-PG (parental guidance suggested); TV-14 (parents strongly cautioned – may be unsuitable for children under 14); and TV-MA (mature audience only – may be unsuitable for children under 17). The content-based descriptors, which are included in the ratings where appropriate, are: V (violence); FV (fantasy violence in children’s programming); S (sexual content); D (suggestive dialogue); and L (strong language in programming). The guidelines apply to most television programming — including both broadcast and cable programming — except for news and sports programming, most religious and home shopping programming, and advertisements. For episodic television programs, each individual episode is rated independently and different episodes may be rated differently depending upon their content.