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What content warnings and age ratings apply to Bully today?

By Freedom251 Team · · 7 min read

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In the United States, both the original Bully and Bully: Scholarship Edition are rated Teen by the ESRB, generally suitable for ages 13 and up. The original carries warnings for crude humor, language, sexual themes, use of alcohol and tobacco, and violence. Scholarship Edition has those same warnings plus animated blood. Australian records classify both releases as M, with advice about moderate themes, violence and sexual references; a 2 August 2024 Australian IARC entry also lists crude humour. The label on the exact edition, platform and country matters more than the game’s title alone.

Ratings at a glance

The table below separates the records by release and jurisdiction. These are not interchangeable age systems: a U.S. Teen label and an Australian M label come from different authorities and should be read with their own descriptor text.

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Release and region Age label Official warning or consumer-advice text Date or platform context
Bully, United States ESRB Teen (generally 13+) Crude Humor; Language; Sexual Themes; Use of Alcohol and Tobacco; Violence ESRB records for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 4
Bully: Scholarship Edition, United States ESRB Teen (generally 13+) Animated Blood; Crude Humor; Language; Sexual Themes; Use of Alcohol and Tobacco; Violence ESRB record covering Windows PC, Wii, Xbox 360 and Xbox One
Bully/Canis Canem Edit, Australia M Moderate themes, violence and sexual references Classification dated 24 August 2006
Bully: Scholarship Edition, Australia M Moderate themes, violence and sexual references Classification dated 15 January 2008
Bully (Canis Canem Edit), Australia IARC record M Violence, Sexual References, Crude Humour Classification dated 2 August 2024

What the U.S. Teen rating means

The ESRB places both editions in its Teen category, which it describes as generally suitable for people aged 13 and older. The rating is an advisory guide for parents, not a guarantee that every 13-year-old will find the game suitable. ESRB’s own guidance says ratings provide information about a game’s contents so parents can make informed choices for their family.

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Read the words beside the rating icon. “Teen” is only the category; the descriptors explain why the game received it. They also do not form a scene-by-scene inventory. A descriptor confirms that the authority identified that type of content, but it does not specify how often it appears, how prominent it is, or how an individual child will react.

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What content the descriptors identify

Violence

Violence is listed for the original game and for Scholarship Edition. Fighting is a core activity, so a player should expect physical confrontations rather than a title in which violence is incidental. The official wording does not, by itself, provide a complete account of every depiction or its intensity. Parents who need scene-level detail should treat the rating as a starting point and make a separate decision based on their child’s sensitivity to fighting.

Animated blood

Scholarship Edition adds the ESRB descriptor Animated Blood. That wording is specific to the Scholarship Edition record; it is not listed in the supplied ESRB wording for the original release. “Animated” identifies the presentation style used by the rating authority, but the descriptor still signals that blood imagery is present in that edition. If blood is a particular concern, check the exact Scholarship Edition listing rather than assuming the original game’s descriptor set applies unchanged.

Language

Both U.S. records list Language. The descriptor tells parents that the dialogue or other text includes language the ESRB considers relevant to a Teen rating. It does not identify particular words, frequency or whether the language is spoken, written or both. Families with strict language rules should use the descriptor as a reason to review the game’s dialogue expectations before allowing play.

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Sexual themes and references

The ESRB uses Sexual Themes for both editions. Australian records use the phrase sexual references. These labels indicate that sexual material, discussion or themes were considered in classification; they do not claim graphic sexual content beyond what the authority specifies. Because the terminology differs, do not translate “sexual themes” into a stronger or weaker claim than the official wording supports.

Use of alcohol and tobacco

The ESRB lists Use of Alcohol and Tobacco for both U.S. editions. This means those substances appear in the game’s content in a way the ESRB considered worth flagging. The descriptor alone does not establish how characters use them, whether use is central to the story, or whether the game presents consequences. Parents concerned about depictions of drinking or smoking should regard this as a clear warning that those references are present.

Crude humor

Crude Humor appears on both ESRB records. Australia’s 2 August 2024 IARC entry uses the spelling Crude Humour. The wording identifies the type of comedy the authority found; it does not provide a list of jokes or indicate that every scene uses that style. The difference in spelling reflects the classification record, not a different U.S. edition.

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Moderate themes

The Australian consumer advice for both recorded releases says Moderate themes, violence and sexual references. “Moderate themes” is a broad category in that advice. It should be read together with the listed violence and sexual references rather than treated as an additional, precisely defined scene description.

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Original game versus Scholarship Edition

The U.S. ratings are the clearest place where the editions differ: both are Teen, but Scholarship Edition adds Animated Blood to the original descriptor set. The other listed U.S. warnings—crude humor, language, sexual themes, use of alcohol and tobacco, and violence—appear on both.

The Australian records shown here give the same M advice for the original and Scholarship Edition: moderate themes, violence and sexual references. That does not erase the U.S. distinction; it shows that classification systems can group content differently. The Australian IARC record dated 2 August 2024 for Bully lists violence, sexual references and crude humour, illustrating why a newer digital or storefront entry may display a shorter or differently worded list.

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Edition names can also be accompanied by the title Canis Canem Edit in Australian records. Confirm the product name and platform before comparing labels. A listing for the original game should not automatically be used for Scholarship Edition, and vice versa.

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Is Bully appropriate for a 13-year-old?

Under the U.S. system, 13 is the beginning of the ESRB Teen category, so a 13-year-old is within the rating’s general age range. That answer is not the same as saying every 13-year-old is ready for the game. The relevant questions are the child’s maturity, sensitivity to fighting and blood, response to sexual references and crude humor, family rules about language, and comfort with alcohol and tobacco imagery.

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A practical decision can be made in three stages:

  1. Match the edition. Identify whether the child will play the original or Scholarship Edition. If it is the latter, include animated blood in the discussion.
  2. Read every descriptor. Do not rely on the single word “Teen.” Discuss violence, language, sexual themes, alcohol and tobacco, and crude humor as separate issues.
  3. Set boundaries before play. Agree on play times, whether the child can use voice or text communication if the platform offers it, and what to do if content feels uncomfortable. Use the device’s parental-control features where appropriate.

There is no official claim in these records that the game is suitable for all teenagers, nor is there a scene-by-scene guide that can answer every family’s question. The rating supplies the authority’s categories; the parent supplies the final judgment for that child.

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Why the United States says Teen while Australia says M

Ratings are jurisdiction-specific. The ESRB assigns Teen to both U.S. editions, while Australian classifications record M for the original and Scholarship Edition. Those labels are not a direct conversion chart. Each authority applies its own framework, terminology and presentation.

The Australian wording also demonstrates why the advice text matters. The 2006 and 2008 records use “Moderate themes, violence and sexual references,” while the 2024 IARC record for Bully lists “Violence, Sexual References, Crude Humour.” A parent seeing one of these labels on a local storefront should read that exact advice rather than importing the U.S. descriptor list or assuming the date of an older box applies to a newer digital listing.

How to check the rating for the copy you are buying

  1. Look at the product title and edition. Record whether it says Bully, Bully: Scholarship Edition or Canis Canem Edit.
  2. Check the country-specific rating mark. Use the rating printed on the physical package or displayed by the digital storefront serving your country.
  3. Open the descriptor or consumer-advice panel. Confirm the words, not just the age letter or number. For U.S. copies, look for the ESRB descriptors; for Australian copies, read the M advice.
  4. Verify the platform context. The original U.S. ESRB record covers PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 4, while the Scholarship Edition record covers Windows PC, Wii, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. A different listing may carry a different regional record.
  5. Check the classification date when shown. Older physical releases and newer digital records can display different wording, as illustrated by Australia’s 2024 IARC entry.

Using parental controls responsibly

The ESRB says parental controls are available on virtually all game devices. The exact menu names vary by console, computer and operating system, so use the current instructions for the device in your home. Controls can help restrict games by rating, limit purchases or manage play time, but they do not replace reading the descriptors or talking with the player.

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For a younger Teen player, consider enabling a rating restriction that blocks games above the family’s chosen level, requiring approval for purchases and setting agreed play hours. If the device permits separate child accounts, use one so the limits apply consistently. Recheck settings after system updates or when the child moves to a different device.

What these ratings do not tell you

  • They do not provide a complete scene-by-scene content inventory.
  • They do not state how frequently each warning appears or how long it lasts.
  • They do not measure a child’s individual maturity or sensitivity.
  • They do not make U.S. and Australian labels equivalent.
  • They do not guarantee that a particular storefront will show the same wording as an older box.

Use the official category and descriptor as a concise screening tool, then make a family decision based on the exact edition and local listing. For the information established here, the central distinction is straightforward: both U.S. releases are Teen, while Scholarship Edition additionally carries Animated Blood; Australian records classify the releases as M with advice about moderate themes, violence and sexual references, and the 2024 IARC entry adds crude humour.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

age ratingsBullyBully: Scholarship Editioncontent warningsESRBparental controls

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