| | Roberta McMillan In The Press | 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
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