Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2008C00129:body:0:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2008C00129
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 5714–8806

gazetted and tabled in the respective Parliaments.

Guidelines contents and use

Purpose
The Board is legally required to apply both the Code and the Guidelines when making classification decisions.  The role of the Guidelines is to amplify the criteria set out in the Code.  Board members are therefore the primary audience for the Guidelines.

The Guidelines are also of interest to, and used by, members of the publications industry and members of the general public.

Objectivity / flexibility
The Guidelines aim to be as objective as possible, while retaining the flexibility needed to accommodate matters such as those set out in section 11 of the Classification Act.

In describing classification criteria, the Guidelines sometimes use language which can be interpreted in a number of ways. To clarify the way words are used in the Guidelines, a Glossary of terms is included (see page 18).

Criteria
Each classification category contains a list of the criteria used by the Board when making classification decisions.  These criteria relate to such classifiable elements as violence, sex, drug use, nudity, adult themes and coarse language.

Impact
In considering each element, the Board makes classification decisions based on the impact of individual elements and their cumulative effect.  Both the content and treatment of elements contribute to the impact.  The Board takes into account the concepts underlying individual descriptions and depictions, and assesses factors such as emphasis, tone, frequency, context and the amount of visual or written detail in those descriptions and depictions.

The Guidelines clearly delineate between 'descriptions' and 'depictions', and in some cases 'references', in order to be able to describe, where appropriate, the different impact levels of images and text.  Descriptions are representation through text.  Generally, they are more detailed and lengthy than references, (which may include, for example, headlines, or captions accompanying photographs). Depictions are representation through image.  'Realistic depictions' include photographs; 'stylised depictions' include cartoons and other illustrations.  Generally, descriptions of classifiable elements may contain more detail than depictions, if the level of impact does not increase as a result.  In general, stylised depictions are considered to have less impact than realistic depictions, especially photographs.

The way in which image, text and concept are combined also contributes to the overall impact, and therefore the classification decision, as does the context in which classifiable elements occur.  Context can be established by the general character of the publication itself, by the location and juxtaposition of images and text within the publication, and by the relationship between particular images and text (for example, a caption beneath a photograph).

Age limits
In accordance with the Code, descriptions and depictions of sexual activity are permitted if they involve 'consenting adults'.  Therefore, descriptions and depictions of sexual activity