Home News Dutch Government commission on Youth, Violence and Media argues for expansion of Kijkwijzer

Dutch Government commission on Youth, Violence and Media argues for expansion of Kijkwijzer

NICAM welcomes the positive assessment of the Kijkwijzer system given by the Commissie Jeugd, Geweld en Media in its report Wijzer Kijken. According to the Commission, Kijkwijzer offers a good basis for regulation and oversight in the audio-visual sector. The report was presented to state secretary (deputy minister) Medy van der Laan on Thursday 15 December. 

“For Kijkwijzer and NICAM this is a constructive report”, says NICAM director Wim Bekkers. “It is important because the commission set up by the state secretary has taken the time to go into the problem in depth and has taken evidence from a large number of experts. However, we still have to study and discuss the report properly so that we can give a considered opinion on all its recommendations. This reservation applies, for example, to the possibility of introducing a new age category of 9. The recommendation that Kijkwijzer be widened to include advice on suitability also needs further study. It has far-reaching implications and it is still not clear to us whether, and if so how, NICAM could meet it.” 
The Commission also wants to see more attention being paid to the music clip culture. Bekkers points out that MTV is already observing the rules for programming times linked to Kijkwijzer’s age categories. “Clips are classified like all other programmes and MTV employs trained coders to do the job.” 

Given the public benefit of good classification, NICAM supports the Commission’s plea for a continuation of government involvement. NICAM also endorses the conclusion that the organisation should have access to effective enforcement and sanctions for the sector-wide affiliation of all relevant industries. At the same time it observes that the Commission does not offer concrete legal means by which this problem could be tackled. 

Kijkwijzer was launched in 2001 and is the only classification system in the world to be applied uniformly to television, motion pictures, DVD/video, and today in a limited form also to mobile phones. Games are classified according to the European PEGI system, which is based on the Dutch Kijkwijzer. In the view of 95% of the target group – parents of young children – Kijkwijzer is useful, and 77% make regular or occasional use of its recommendations. Since the launch of Kijkwijzer there has been a sharp rise in parent awareness of the risks to children of audio-visual products.  

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All ages

All ages (AL) means that a film, series or television show contains no harmful imagery.

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6 years

The age category 6 years was developed to protect young children from scary and violent imagery. Young children are especially sensitive to this kind of material.

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9 years

Once children are around the age of 9, they are better able to understand whether films or series are real. That's why some productions are rated 9 years and older.

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12 years

When children are between 10 and 12 years old, they start to look differently at the world around them. Still, children around this age are more easily affected by content than teenagers.

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14 years

At this age, children start to use film and television to learn 'social' lessons, like: how to be yourself? And how to interact with others? Watching dangerous behaviour on screen can therefore cause issues at this age. 

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16 years

Although 16-year olds are better able to understand the difference between good and bad, this doesn't mean they can just watch any film or series without trouble.

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18 years

The age rating 18 years and older indicates that a film or television show is for adults only. 

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Violence

When children see violence, it can make them aggressive, scared or desensitized to violence. The chance at these kind of effects is influenced by a few things, like: how realistic is the violence? Is there blood or gore? Is violence rewarded? 

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Fear

Scary images can frighten children, make them restless or even cause long-term effects like nightmares. The effects vary depending on the viewer and the viewer's age. 

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Sex

Children and teens that are in the middle of their (sexual) development, are not always ready to see sexual scenes. They may also be unable to interpret them correctly. Kijkwijzer takes this into consideration. How explicit a sex scene is determines the final age rating.

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Coarse language

Coarse language consists of cussing and cursing, suggestive terms or sexual expletives. Children may imitate the use of offensive language and even incorporate it in their vocabulary.

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Discrimination

Discrimination is any expression that suggests (a group of) people are 'inferior' in some way, for example on the basis of skin colour, religion, sexuality, sex or gender, nationality or ethnicity. If a production contains discrimination and the discriminatory action is not immediately condemned, the icon for discrimination is depicted.

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Smoking, alcohol and drugs

If hard drugs are used in a production - or (a lot of) alcohol, soft drugs or tobacco - the Kijkwijzer icon for smoking, alcohol and drugs is depicted. Teenagers can start to see the use as something that's normal, or even as something worth trying. 

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Dangerous challenges and stunts

Dangerous challenges and stunts regularly occur in content on video sharing platforms.

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Violence

The game contains depictions of violence. In games rated PEGI 7 this can only be non-realistic or non-detailed violence. Games rated PEGI 12 can include violence in a fantasy environment or non-realistic violence towards human-like characters, whereas games rated PEGI 16 or 18 have increasingly more realistic-looking violence.​

Fear

This descriptor may appear as 'Fear' on games with a PEGI 7 if it contains pictures or sounds that may be frightening or scary to young children, or as 'Horror' on higher-rated games that contain moderate (PEGI 12) or intense and sustained (PEGI 16) horror sequences or disturbing images (not necessarily including violent content).

Sex

This content descriptor can accompany a PEGI 12 rating if the game includes sexual posturing or innuendo, a PEGI 16 rating if there is erotic nudity or sexual intercourse without visible genitals or a PEGI 18 rating if there is explicit sexual activity in the game. Depictions of nudity in a non-sexual context do not require a specific age rating, and this descriptor would not be necessary.

Drugs

The game refers to or depicts the use of illegal drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Games with this content descriptor are always PEGI 16 or PEGI 18.

Discrimination

The game contains depictions of ethnic, religious, nationalistic or other stereotypes likely to encourage hatred. This content is always restricted to a PEGI 18 rating (and likely to infringe national criminal laws).

Bad language

The game contains bad language. This descriptor can be found on games with a PEGI 12 (mild swearing), PEGI 16 (e.g. sexual expletives or blasphemy) or PEGI 18 rating (e.g. sexual expletives or blasphemy).

PEGI 3

PEGI 7

PEGI 12

Video games that show violence of a slightly more graphic nature towards fantasy characters or non-realistic violence towards human-like characters would fall in this age category. Sexual innuendo or sexual posturing can be present, while any bad language in this category must be mild.

PEGI 16

This rating is applied once the depiction of violence (or sexual activity) reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life. The use of bad language in games with a PEGI 16 rating can be more extreme, while the use of tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs can also be present.

PEGI 18

The adult classification is applied when the level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence, apparently motiveless killing, or violence towards defenceless characters. The glamorisation of the use of illegal drugs and of the simulation of gambling, and explicit sexual activity should also fall into this age category. 

Gambling

The game contains elements that encourage or teach gambling. These simulations of gambling refer to games of chance that are normally carried out in casinos or gambling halls. 

In-game purchases

The game offers players the option to purchase digital goods or services with real-world currency. Such purchases include additional content (bonus levels, outfits, surprise items, music), but also upgrades (e.g. to disable ads), subscriptions to updates, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency.

If this icon is accompanied by the notice Paid Random Items, the in-game purchases may consist of offers where the player doesn't know precisely what they are buying prior to purchase (i.e. loot boxes or card packs). 

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