Kennedy Gjovik told a North Dakota legislative committee that she attempted her first suicide at 10 years old.
âI was in the third grade when the cyberbullying started,â she said. âI was added into a group chat that kids from my previous school were in. The first message was, âWhy donât you go kill yourself?ââ
Gjovik, now a college freshman, testified in front of the Senate Human Services Committee on February 9 in favor of Senate Bill 2311. The bill sponsor, Sen. Joan Heckaman, D-New Rockford, said the bill would get mental health resources and information to students.
âIt should be taught directly to students,â she said. âAn assumption that if the resources are out there, students will access them, seems a little thin.â