That's why ERA members are committed to clear and informative labelling to help consumers find age-appropriate entertainment products.
Retailers don't set standards or ratings. Instead they work with the relevant organisations across the sectors of video, games and music, ensure staff are well-trained in each of the codes and put systems in place to ensure they are implemented properly.
Video
Ratings for film and videos in the UK are set by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
Ratings range from 'U' - which stands for Universal and indicates programmes should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over - up to R18, which is used for material which may be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years.
Every DVD and video sold in the UK must by law be marked with one of these symbols indicating its suitability for different types of audience: More information on what the various categories mean is available here.
Video ratings have the force of law and all retailers have stringent procedures in place to ensure the rules are upheld.
The other key organisation in video is the Video Standards Council (VSC). While the BBFC sets the ratings themselves, the VSC focuses on the practical issues of how the ratings are communicated to the public through packaging and staff training.
The VSC website includes useful information for parents.
Games
Games ratings are set by PEGI which stands for Pan-European Games Information.
PEGI ratings which are shortly to be set in UK law have five age categories from 3 to 18.
In addition PEGI provides a series of symbols which help explain why a particular rating has been given, ranging from scariness to drugs or sexual references or depictions of violence.
More information on what PEGI ratings mean is available here.
While PEGI focuses on rating games content, as with video it is the Video Standards Council (VSC) which focuses on the practical issues of how the ratings are communicated to the public through packaging and staff training.
The VSC website includes useful information for parents.
Music
For music the relevant parental advice scheme is operated by the record companies trade association, the BPI.
This provides for the labels 'Parental Advisory' or 'Explicit' to be applied to songs or CDs which contains lyrical themes which may not be suitable for children.
An announcement of an updated version of the scheme is available here.
Where appropriate, music videos featuring visual material which is not suitable for children may be rated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). There is also a BBFC age rated music video scheme for UK content.