The BBFC stated that, for U films, parents are comfortable with “damn”, “hell”, “God”, “butt” and “jerk”. “Bloody”, “bugger” and “s***” are OK for PGs, and 12/12As can use ‘f***’, depending on “context, frequency, and tone”. “Context is one part of the mix, certainly,” says Brew. “The King’s Speech is a good case in point. Never has a film with so many f-bombs had a 12A certificate in UK cinemas before, and even though attitudes are changing, I’d imagine it’ll be a long time before that happens again.”
Children are experts at parroting what they hear. But is swearing, on the box or in the home, actually bad for children? There isn’t a wealth of scientific study on the topic, but the consensus is that swearing around kids isn’t a huge problem, depending on context. Many experts suggest it’s all down to personal choice: if you don’t mind your children swearing, then go ahead; if you don’t want them to, try not to swear in front of them. What some people find offensive, others won’t.
One cognitive scientist who has…
