The Difference Between 12As and 15s

Rating	12A - The BBFC considers the content of 12A rated films to be suitable for children aged 12 and over	15 - No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a ‘15’ rated DVD
Sex	Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed Verbal sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers, but comedy may lessen the impact of some moderate sex references or innuendo Sexual violence, such as scenes of rape or assault, may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated at 12A. Such scenes must also have a strong contextual justification	Sexual activity can be portrayed, as long as there is no strong or graphic detail These scenes may be quite long at this category and may involve some nudity and movement No constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context Strong references to sex and sexual behaviour Can have detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification
Violence	Moderate violence is allowed but it should not dwell on detail, with no emphasis on injuries or blood Weapons which might be easily accessible to 12 year olds should not be glamorised	Violence may be strong Should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury Easily accessible weapons may not be glamorised
Strong Language	There may be infrequent strong language (eg 'f***') There may be moderate language (eg uses of terms such as ‘bitch’ and ‘twat’)	There is no upper limit on the number of uses of strong language (eg f***) No continued or aggressive usage of the strongest terms (eg 'c***')
Drug use	There may be infrequent sight of drugs misuse	Drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse But don’t tend to allow the misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances like aerosols or solvents
Overall Tone	A film with a more positive or reassuring tone instead of very dark or unsettling tone which could disturb the audience would be more likely to gain a 12a certificate
Additional Points	Unlikely to have aggressive discriminatory language, and it must not be endorsed by the film as a whole Dangerous behaviour (for example hanging, suicide and self-harming) may be present in 12 or 12A works but will not dwell on detail which could be copied or present those activities as pain or harm free	May be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language, and the work could explore themes relating to this, but must not endorse it Can be strong threat and menace Dangerous behaviour such as hanging, suicide and self-harming should not dwell on detail which could be copied