Film Sends Tragic Message About Bullying
Students say they learned lesson from story of girl's suicide.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
By LYNN OLANOFF
The Express-Times

WASHINGTON | The crowd at the Washington Theatre was completely silent. They weren't highly disappointed with the latest "Pirates" movie. Rather, the still crowd fit the serious subject of the movie they saw: a documentary about a 14-year-old girl who killed herself after schoolmates bullied her.

"I started tearing in the movie," a girl was overheard saying. "She was only 14 when she died." "That was intense," the boy sitting next to her responded.

The students were two of about 360 middle school students from Allamuchy, Great Meadows, Hackettstown, Hope, Lopatcong and Warren County Special Services who saw the movie Thursday.

Roberta McMillan and Ray Buffer, the filmmakers who made the "Rats & Bullies" documentary, also attended Thursday's screenings.

Great Meadows Superintendent Jason Bing organized the screenings for the six schools to help raise awareness about the growing epidemic of peer-to-peer harassment in middle and high schools. "The documentary allows students to hear about the problems from their peers in a town similar to those in Warren County," Bing said.

The girl in the film, Dawn-Marie Wesley, lived in the small town of Mission in British Columbia.

"We purposely chose this movie because it's a small town, just like the towns around here," Bing said. "Kids are more apt to get the message from their peers than adults."

Lopatcong seventh-grade student Alex Sansone said the movie's message resonated with him.

"It really opened my mind to what really goes on when people are bullied," he said. "It makes you wonder why people do those things."

Many of the students said they have been in similar situations to Dawn-Marie, either on the receiving end or having been a bully themselves. Lopatcong seventh-grade student D.J. Molyneaux said he thought the movie taught the bullies lessons.

"Now they know not to make fun of people," he said. "Now they know how it will feel when it happens."

Reporter Lynn Olanoff can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at lolanoff@express-times.com.


Schools Use Documentary to Address Bullying Issues
Friday, June 08, 2007
By KEVIN LECHISKI
Staff Writer

WASHINGTON -- There are no innocent bystanders when it comes to bullying, according to Great Meadows Regional School District Superintendent Jason Bing.

"There's often a bystander effect in peer-to-peer harassment where kids will watch and do nothing because of peer and social pressures," Bing said. "I believe schools need to instill in students the ability to identify bullying and stand up against this type of behavior because they could ultimately save a life."

Students from six Warren County school districts got an in-depth look at the devastating consequences of bullying during showings of the award-winning documentary "Rats & Bullies" hosted by the Washington Theater last Thursday.

The feature-length documentary -- written, produced and directed by California-based filmmakers Roberta McMillan and Ray Buffer -- chronicles the life of Dawn-Marie Wesley, a 14-year-old who hung herself in 2000 with a dog leash following continuous bullying by three classmates at her school in British Columbia, Canada.

The compelling film, honored by the Thunderbird International Film Festival, was shown throughout the day to students from the Great Meadows, Allamuchy, Lopatcong, Hackettstown, Hope and Warren County Special Services school districts. Each showing concluded with a Q& A session with the filmmakers.

Last Thursday's private showings with the filmmakers were made possible with a grant from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Bing said the showing of the documentary was an extension of the inter-district Tolerance Day held in February that included a visit from a young man from Irvington who had been bullied and beaten to the point where he will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Bing said he is hoping programs such as the showing of "Rats & Bullies" will encourage students to take personal responsibility not to engage in bullying and speak up when they do witness this type of behavior.

The concept for "Rats & Bullies" was born when McMillan was watching an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" featuring an interview with the mother of Dawn-Marie Wesley. McMillan, an actress/screenwriter who had been the victim of bullying while a child, was inspired to write a screenplay based on the life of Wesley. While traveling to Canada in 2002 to interview friends and family for screenplay research, McMillan realized the story also had great potential as a documentary. Completed in 2004, the filmmakers have shown the documentary to students around the world. McMillan and Buffer are currently in discussions with several movie studios to have the story made into a feature film.

"Each time we show the film to students, I hope any children being bullied realize they're not alone and that they're all important no matter how bad they may get picked on," she said. "I hope the film makes anyone who has engaged in bullying know the awful effect it has on people."

Samantha Scotland, who was among the 115 Great Meadows Middle School students to view the documentary, said the film shows the importance of choosing your words and actions carefully around other people.

"Everything you do will affect another person," Samantha said.

Staff Writer Kevin Lechiski can be reached at (908) 852-3397 or klechiski@njnpublishing.com.




Click on the Newspaper Icons below, to read the entire articles.
The Partial Observer
“Rats & Bullies can teach you something about yourself, keep your attention, and move you."
- Bernard G. Mayer
"This film will not only demonstrate to bullies the consequences of their behavior but also show a teenager who might be considering suicide as an escape, the irreparable harm his or her suicide would have to the survivors."
- Sonia Hawkes



If you are from the press and wish to receive an Electronic Press Kit CD-ROM with better quality photos, you may contact the RATS & BULLIES Development and Promotions Director, JOANNE McLAUGHLIN at (916) 847-6663 or send her an email to JOANNE@RATSANDBULLIES.COM

RATS & BULLIES LOGO
Title Logo variation for the feature documentary film.



(L to R) Filmmaker Roberta McMillan is seen here with Dawn-Marie's mother, Cindy Wesley.
This photo was taken in Mission, British Columbia Canada, outside the RCMP station.



(L to R) Cindy Falcon and Dana Drury
Falcon & Drury reenact a moment of consolation between best friends Paula Settee and Dawn-Marie Wesley.



(L to R) Dana Drury & Crystal Enciso
Drury & Enciso reenact a threatening situation between Dawn-Marie Wesley and bully, Donna Harley.



(Background L to R) Laura DeRuiter, Simone Malave, David Delaney, Matthew Kennedy and Crystal Enciso
Teen actors demonstrate "pack mentality" bullying behavior.



Simone Malave as Darla Wilson
Malave reenacts a phone call made to Dawn-Marie Wesley by bully, Darla Wilson in which Wilson states "your f***in' dead, Dawn". Shortly thereafter Wesley takes her own life.


(L to R) Crystal Enciso, Simone Malave, Dana Drury and Laura DeRuiter
Teen actors demonstrate subtle forms of female bullying such as shunning and gossip.



(L to R) Dana Drury, Laura DeRuiter and David Delaney
An example of the role of bystander who aids the bully both by not acting and by cheering.



Rosalind Wiseman
New York Times best-selling author of "QUEEN BEES & WANNABES" and President & co-founder of Washington DC's EMPOWER INSTITUTE Rosalind Wiseman, discusses female bullying.



Cindy Wesley
Dawn-Marie's mother, Cindy Wesley is interviewed.



D.J. Wesley
D.J. Wesley was only 13 when he walked in to find his sister hanging lifeless in her bedroom from a dog leash.



Dawn-Marie Wesley, taken shortly before her suicide.
Dawn-Marie took this picture of herself. It was not discovered until after her death, undeveloped within her camera.

©2007 R&R Media Productions
All Rights Reserved
bully, bullying, film on bullying, film about bully, bullying, bullied,bullycide, bullicide, bullys, bullying, bystander, victim, suicide, tragedy, consequences, documentary, feature, participant, fox, searchlight, focus, distribution, dvd, film, bully, Sadly, some students are so traumatized by being bullied that they become very depressed. Miserable and unable to communicate their dilemma to anyone, they feel their situation is hopeless and sometimes commit suicide. The film "Rats & Bullies" tells the story of Dawn-Marie, a 14-year old girl who took her own life after being relentlessly bullied by three teenage girls who were her classmates. View a trailer of the movie. Dawn-Marie left a suicide note in which she named the three girls. Later, they were held accountable for the bullying. Read a teenager's review of the movie at TeensPoint.org. See a video: Girls can sometimes be mean (presented by the Montefiore Medical Center in Association with WNET). Girls talk about being bullied by other girls, sometimes their friends. Send your thoughts. Do you think it is a good idea to document a real-life bullying tragedy in a movie? Why or why not? February 17, 2005 in Bullies, Bullying incidents, Bullying tragedy, Documentary film, Effects of bullying, Victim suicide, Victims | Permalink Comments Hi I'm 17 and I've been there. Not cool. You need 2 stand up 4 yourself and let them have it! I stood up and they sat down. Go 4 it. Life is there to be yours. Posted by: Shanee | June 11, 2007 at 01:49 AM Well I have been bullied my whole life and am still getting bullied. I'm an 11 year old student and I'm doing a report on bullying to try to get it across to the people that are doing the bullying or just don't care. I want them to understand what effects it can have and where it can lead to if not dealt with. Because of the bullying, I have cut my wrist and don't talk to anyone. Now I want to deal with it so I stop and now see a counselor. It was hard, but if I do this, then I can help others who are getting bullied. Posted by: Danni | May 16, 2007 at 08:24 PM Bullying is not good. I have been bullied and it's not fun. Even if you think it is cool doesn't mean it is. Listen, you might think I am a nerd but you're wrong. I am not...yall need to know that bullying isn't cool. If you are bullied, stand up for yourself and be who you want to be and know that you're special! And if others think something else don't worry because you know who you are. Stand tall and be proud. But if it gets too serious still do that, but let an adult you trust know! Yell at that bully to stop..."It's not cool. You may think you're cool, but you know what you're making out of yourself...a fool! Help stop bullying worldwide. No matter where you are, there shouldn't be bullying. Just remember some words to live by: "You can't hate others without hating your self." - Oprah Winfrey Peace! A town down chill and make bullying stop! Posted by: Tanveer | April 26, 2007 at 05:03 PM I came to Canada in 2003 and was relentlessly bullied. I have gone through all of the trauma but, I lived through it. It's a passing thing....this video, I think it will make a difference....its very good that people are trying to make a difference in the society. Posted by: Stuthi | February 25, 2007 at 11:14 AM I don't think there should be bullying in Canada or in the world Posted by: Bailee | February 22, 2007 at 11:53 AM I feel making a film out of this issue is cruel. It won't go away until someone realises what they're doing. Bullying is only the start. You can't risk it turning into a death. Posted by: Kisty Jamieson | February 19, 2007 at 12:13 PM I think the making of this movie is incredible. That poor little girl, heaven knows what she went through. Rest In Peace To You. Posted by: Hanna | February 04, 2007 at 08:46 AM Bullying is a terribe thing...the victim feels helpless and is afraid to speak due to not wanting to draw further attention to self...but they should draw from their strength within and reach out for help...before it is too late. suicidal thoughts are very common among victims of these monsters. Posted by: Coco | September 29, 2006 at 03:49 PM Most movies that have to do with bullying are very old. Like from the 80's and are nothing like todays violence. If a movie is going to be put out about bullying, it will have to be a VERY GOOD one. One that would almost be good enough to hit the box office or somthing. It would have to be a movie that would capture the students' feelings about a certain person. And in the end, if something happened to that person, then people would see how awful bullying truly is. Just saying bullying is bad.. Bullying is wrong.. won't stick with people. A good and mind blowing movie about somone who commits suicide because they feel they have nothing left in their life would DEFINITELY get the point across........ Posted by: Dustin | April 28, 2006 at 04:29 PM It is a terrible bullying incident. It might be a good idea to document the real-life bullying incident in a film. Students will know that it is not only a story in a movie, but also like real-life incidents happening around us everyday. This movie shows realities to us. We should think about what schools and parents should do in these kind of cases. Everybody in Dawn-Marie's class knew what was going on and what was ing to her. However, there were not any adults who knew before Dawn-Marie committed suicide. I understand if someone reports bullying incidents to teachers or parents, nobody in this class will be friendly to him or her. In my opinion, we should correct this kind of wrong idea in many students' minds. Then we can destroy the bullying environments and situations. Posted by: Yan | April 30, 2005 at 07:49 AM Thomas, Thank you for giving your opinion. Well, even if bullies bring attention from others and hurt people, I strongly think they are not themselves when they bully. Posted by: Demba | April 27, 2005 at 09:44 PM Anne, I think that one way to make people empathize about bullying is to write a play about bullying that makes people understand how serious bullying is. Students could write a play that shows people that bullying is big problem. Then, other people could understand how victims and bullies feel. Another way is a conference, The conference gets teachers, students, and parents together. They can discuss bullying situations and understand the problem. If people keep trying to find solutions, such as conferences and plays, it could reduce bullying situations in the future. Posted by: Mi Hye Ahn | March 29, 2005 at 08:42 AM Mi Hye Ahn, I agree with you that documenting a real-life tragic bullying incident will help people learn from it. If people have not experienced it or known someone who has, they might not ever think about the problem. Books and movies can cause people to get involved in correcting problems. It can cause them to care and emphathize. Can you think of other ways to make people emphathize about bullying? Posted by: Anne Davis | March 28, 2005 at 12:39 PM Demba, Do you truly believe that a bully really cares what people think about his bullying behavior? I believe the bully is happy to see that people are noticing his bullying and will bully all the more. Posted by: Thomas | March 24, 2005 at 06:43 PM Yes, it is a good idea to document a real life bullying incident because tragic bullying is a very serious problem that many people experience in their student years. If people make some movies or books about bullying it will help victims and maybe it can help solve the bullying problem. Posted by: Sung Hwi Chung | March 18, 2005 at 09:04 AM I think it is a good idea to make a bullying movie. Because of this movie, many people can know how terrible bullying is, and they will be more concerned about bullying, so they will intervene and bullying will be solved. Posted by: Lee, Eun Hyun | March 18, 2005 at 09:01 AM Documenting bullying incidents is a good idea. If bullies recognize they cause bad situations, they might stop bullying. These documentay films show the report on victims who killed themselves and bullies may go on trial. Bullies act without thinking but victims are hurt emotionally whatever they do, and the bullying can become serious. Documenting serious bullying incidents may help bullies recognize how terrible their acts are. I think she had no person to depend on about being bullied. Anyway, when she was bullied, she should have consulted with someone before kill herself I think. They tried to keep bullying her because she didn't do anything. If she tried to consult with her mother or teachers, she thought people who have bullied her continue to bully her harder. This is one of the most important problems and this is the cause. It made her kill herself, I think. As a solution, Japan has many phone calling centers victims to consult about bullies. They can consult with other people who are not related to bullying situation. Posted by: Akira Sasaki | March 18, 2005 at 08:32 AM In my opinion, a document about bullying is a good idea. If bullying is seen in a movie or book, it can be the key to the solution of the problem in another situation and it will convince us how terrible bullying is. Posted by: Lim Ju Hee | March 18, 2005 at 07:58 AM Making a movie about bullying incidents is a good idea because the movie can remind people how serious bullying is. For example, after watching the movie "Hotel Rwanda," I realized that we failed to intervene in the genocide of other countries. I think when a bullying incident is documented in a movie, people will watch the movie and be concerned about this problem. Posted by: Sujoeng Hong | March 18, 2005 at 07:57 AM I think it is not a good idea to make a movie or book because although it might show people what bullying is really like, it would be exaggerated since it is a movie or book. Movies and books will be based on real life which means the story is about real victims. How does the movie or book affect his/her life after movie is realeased? What victims need is help. Posted by: Yong Jin Lee | March 18, 2005 at 07:53 AM I think it is a good idea because it can let many people know about bullying. Usually a bullying situation takes place in an isolated place, so parents or teachers don’t know about it. But if they saw a movie or a book about bullying, they might start thinking about this problem, and wonder it their child or their students were being bullied. Posted by: Seo, InJi | March 18, 2005 at 07:53 AM A document about real-life bullying is a good thing. It is an effective way to make us realize how bad bullying is as we watch it. It shows parents and teachers they need to think about bullying. Posted by: Eunjin Kim | March 18, 2005 at 07:51 AM I think that it is a good idea to document a real-life tragic bullying incident because people can learn from it. Most people don't believe that something like that could happen to them. If people don't experience a bullying situation, they don't know the dangers of bullying. Therefore, they have to learn indirectly from a movie or a book. Posted by: Mi Hye Ahn | March 18, 2005 at 07:49 AM When we document a tragic bullying incident in a movie, that could allow the bullies to see how bad their actions are. Bullies don't really realize their actions are that bad. It could also help the victims to know how to escape from bullies.