Todd Loik, a teenager from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, is the latest teen to commit suicide due to a lengthy campaign of cyberbullying.
Loik commited suicide just days before his 16th birthday, reported CTV News. Loik's mother, Kim, said the bullying started when Loik was in grade 5 or 6 and recently expanded to include online messages and cellphone texts.
"The pain in my heart… I’ve never felt so much pain," she told CTV Saskatoon.
Kim Loik said the family even considered moving to Edmonton to get Todd away from his attackers.
The Loik family has created a Facebook page to remember the teen's life.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has sent Loik's mother his condolences. She wants federal legislation that outlaws cyberbullying across the country. NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon expressed his condolences to the Loik family.
Researchers say cyberbullying has become a bigger reason for suicide among teens. Nova Scotia teen Rehtaeh Parsons' suicide due to cyberbullying and sexual assault led to an outcry and possible changes to the law. In B.C., the suicide of teen Amanda Todd has also led to greater awareness of cyberbullying.
With files from the Canadian Press