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All Press Releases for April 10, 2004 Subscribe to this News Feed    
 

'RATS & BULLIES' offers a Free Newsletter Update

The Powerful and Unflinching Feature Documentary Film, "RATS & BULLIES: The Dawn-Marie Wesley Story", offers to the public a Free e-Newsletter that will announce When and Where this Film on Social Bullying / Relational Aggression among Teen Females will be Screened.

(PRWEB) April 10, 2004 --You are invited to subscribe and receive a free e-Newsletter chronicling the developments, screenings and availability of a powerful documentary film: "Rats & Bullies - The Dawn-Marie Wesley Story." Visit: http://news.place.cc - enter your email address and press 'enter' - its that easy!

"Rats & Bullies" produced by Roberta McMillan and Ray Buffer ( see the official website at http://www.ratsandbullies.com ) probes the suicide of a 14-year-old girl from Mission, BC named Dawn-Marie Wesley, who took her own life by hanging herself with a dog leash in her bedroom after systematic bullying and threats by three teenage girls from her school. Her suicide was discovered by her then-13-year-old brother who had come to her room prior to the family's dinner, to use her TV. The bullies were named in Dawn-Marie's suicide note which prompted an investigation by RCMP and Crown Counsel leading to two precedent setting cases by Canada's provincial court in which the bullies were held accountable for their threats.

Relational Aggression is discussed with a focus on female bullying. A unique and intriguing cultural component to the story is the role of aboriginal sentencing circles, which were utilized in sentencing one of the bullies, since the victim and one of the accused were both Native, or First Nations. This form of Restorative Justice is beginning to gain wider appeal by legal systems around the globe.

Actions and their consequences are explored through interviews with Dawn-Marie Wesley's mother, Cindy Wesley and brother D.J., as well as MLA Randy Hawes who was Mayor at the time of the incident, Judge Jill Rounthwaite who presided over one of the trials, Kyla Mae Dunn - one of the bullies who was prosecuted, Dawn-Marie's best friend - Paula Settee, Kevin Gillies - a Mission news reporter, Lee Hanlon - a paralegal who assisted the victim's family, Karen McQuade - a co-founder of a bully prevention activism group named PAVE, which arose from Dawn-Marie's demise; and NY Times best-selling author and co-founder of Washington DC's EMPOWER Program, Rosalind Wiseman, author of the NY Times best seller, "Queen Bees and Wannabes".

Dawn-Marie's story has been featured on TV in episodes of "The John Walsh Show", "The Vicki Gabereau Show" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show". Get the whole story in RATS & BULLIES."

Sign up for the newsletter at http://news.place.cc and receive exclusive news regarding when, where and how you can see RATS & BULLIES."

Running Time 115 minutes: Color

Visit the official website at http://www.ratsandbullies.com

View the trailer at http://preview.2ya.com

Visit: http://news.place.cc

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CONTACT INFORMATION
Joanne Greene, Production Office Asst.
R&R MEDIA PRODUCTIONS
7143966110
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ATTACHED FILES

Additional Production Art from RATS & BULLIES
The Film's Title Logo with 14-year-old bullycide victim, Dawn-Marie Wesley seen in the background.

Production Art from RATS & BULLIES
Seen here (l to r) are Dawn-Marie Wesley (background) in a self-portrait pose found in her camera following her suicide, and filmmaker, Roberta McMillan.

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