Public attitudes to sex have changed a lot over the years, and recent public consultations show a greater tolerance of portrayals of sex on screen. However, there is still a clear public feeling that some images of - and references to - sex should not be passed as suitable for younger children. The BBFC reflects this through the classification system - the 'U' category, for example,
allows for mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references only (for example, to ‘making love’). Progressively stronger images and references are allowed through the categories, and at the other end of the spectrum there
is a special category, 'R18', for explicit images of real sex. These types of images can be passed at '18' only when they are justified by context.
The BBFC must also consider legal issues associated with images of sex, such as the Protection of Children Act and the 1994 amendment to the Video Recordings Act which says that the Board must pay special attention to certain things which include 'human sexual activities'.
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