James Wood, a senior at Streetsboro High School, committed suicide on Saturday night, and his parents and the police want the public to be aware of this so that similar tragedies won’t happen again. Let’s find out who James Woods is and Why did the teen kill himself in detail below.
Content warning note: This page discusses suicide, so please be aware of the content. If you or a loved one is suffering from depression: To speak with a crisis counselor, dial the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or send the text message 4HOPE to 741741.
Who is James Woods?
Only a few days have passed since a cherished member of the Streetsboro community passed away. Monday morning’s serene and peaceful picture outside the high school perfectly captured the atmosphere inside less laughing and not many smiles. This results from the loss of their friend James Woods, 17, who committed suicide.
James’s Parents grieving son’s loss
In honor of their one and only child, Tamia and Timothy decided to speak up to stop this from happening to anyone else.
James was amusing, Tamia remarked. He was ridiculous. He was funny all the time. That is why this loss is so intolerable. They find it extremely difficult to comprehend why this occurred.
Through sobs, Tamia recalled how they had always told him they loved him. “We hugged him. We complimented him on his looks.
We gave our everything. We gave him memories and life. Every day we made sure he had our support, yet it persisted.
We need to save these babies, and I’m a helper. I don’t want [anyone] to experience my current emotions. James was a well-liked resident of Streetsboro and a talented runner who won both cross-country and track competitions.
Tamia remarked, “He always had excellent manners.” “He always showed respect to everyone,” He was charismatic, intelligent, witty, and attractive, Timothy continued. “He had everything. He was beloved by all. Whoever they were, they couldn’t say anything bad about him.”
The loss is traumatic for the neighborhood. More than 20 counselors and social workers supported kids and staff on Monday at the school. The Kent City School District and Kent Police Department also assisted by sending their therapy dog to the school.
Scroll down to see why he commits suicide.
Schools Superintendent Michael Daulbaugh’s Statement
In a statement, Streetsboro City Schools Superintendent Michael Daulbaugh said:
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Family shares painful loss of a son
In Ohio (WJW)- By sharing their son’s tragic story, the parents of a Streetsboro teen who committed suicide hope to save another family from suffering the same fate.
According to Tamia and Timothy Woods, they want kids to be able to communicate openly with their parents at difficult times.
To shield their kids from predators who prey on teenagers online, like those who preyed on their son before his murder, they also want parents to be aware of the details surrounding their son’s death.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, Streetsboro municipal Police Chief Tricia Wain and Superintendent of Schools Mike Daulbaugh described the suicide as “the outcome of a terrible epidemic known as sextortion.”
Scroll down to see why he commits suicide.
Reason for suicide: “sextortion”
Before his passing, James was a victim of “sextortion,” in which an adult impersonates another kid to mislead minors into providing them pornographic photographs or videos, Streetsboro police and school administration acknowledged on Tuesday.
James appeared to be upset after hearing what had happened, and the district thinks that other pupils are also being targeted.
In numerous cases, suicide has regrettably been the outcome of sextortion, according to the joint statement. The Woods family has organized a fundraiser to assist with funeral expenses and other expenses. Click here to donate.
Please dial 988 to reach the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Line if you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts. Day or night, assistance is available at all times.
Streetsboro Police Department statement
| As many of you have already heard, one of our high school seniors passed away suddenly on Saturday, November 19, 2022. James Woods was 17 at the time of his death by suicide. With his parents’ blessing and encouragement, the Streetsboro City Schools and the Streetsboro Police Department are releasing the information to prevent further tragedy. We hope that in sharing the message, we open up the lines of communication between children, parents, educators, and police. One child lost is one too many… To The Members Of Our Community, First and foremost, the Streetsboro community’s heartfelt sympathies go out to senior James Woods’ family and friends during this difficult time. Following his tragic passing, new information has come to light that Tamia and Timothy Woods, James’ parents, have made clear needs to be shared with the Streetsboro community. The Superintendent and I agree that the information must be shared and appreciate their courage and their willingness to share the information surrounding James’ death so that others can be helped. James’ cause of death in this tragedy was suicide. Suicide is a complicated activity with a variety of causes. When discussing this with your family, it is important to discourage talking about how the suicide happened and focus on how your child feels. Each person copes with grief differently; the most important thing is to promote healthy conversations with your children during this difficult time. The Woods family, through their incredible strength, “wants to ensure that this does not happen to other families. Please talk to your children and make sure you know what is going on with them.” Our greatest fear at this point is that our community suffers another tragedy. Sadly, that is something that is not uncommon in a phenomenon known as suicide contagion. James’ suicide was the result of a heartbreaking epidemic known as “sextortion.” Sextortion is an online crime that happens when an adult poses as a same-aged peer to convince a victim to share sexual pictures or perform sexual acts on camera. Our School District has been made aware that not only was James a victim of sextortion but more of our students are being targeted. Sextortion is typically performed by people unknown to the students, and oftentimes by people living overseas who are virtually untraceable. Sextortion is a nationwide epidemic, with suicide, unfortunately, being the result in multiple instances. If your child has been a victim, please contact the Streetsboro PD at (330) 626-4976 or your local police agency and screenshot any information or images remaining on the phone. Despite the grief taking place, the Woods family was very clear in their message that they wanted to communicate: “Educate! We want to educate families about sextortion, and we want to encourage all families to make sure they are checking their kids’ social media accounts and making sure they are staying safe!” In light of this information, and at the request of the family, Streetsboro City Schools and Streetsboro PD will be working collaboratively to create educational opportunities for Streetsboro parents and students about not only sextortion but other mental health topics pertinent to raising a child in today’s world. Below (pinned in the comments), please find several additional resources to provide more education about the information discussed above. We want to ensure our Streetsboro community is given every opportunity to grieve appropriately, educate themselves, and ensure we can spend time with our loved ones safely and healthily this holiday season. Sincerely, and with the support of the Woods family, Mike Daulbaugh Superintendent of Streetsboro City Schools – Patricia Wain Police Chief Streetsboro Police Department. |
Sextortion: What is it?
According to the statement from Streetsboro officers, sextortion crimes involve offenders making claims that they have intimate pictures or videos of the victim and threatening to show them to others until the victim sends more photos or engages in sexual actions on camera. The offenders frequently pass themselves off as peers their age.
Here are some important facts regarding sextortion for children and their caretakers, as well as how to contact the FBI about it.
The statement from the officials adds, “Sextortion is often carried out by someone unknown to the students, and frequently by people living overseas who are essentially untraceable.” “Suicide is a tragically common outcome of sextortion, which is a pandemic across the country.” According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the victims are aware of their extortionists about 60% of the time.
They might be a current or former love interest. The center states that they might also be lone actors or part of “an organized network of extortionists who work together to seek and elicit explicit content from their victims.”
In addition to Woods, other Streetsboro teenagers are being targeted by the same predators, officials said on Tuesday. “The Woods family wants to make sure that tragedy does not happen to other families via their remarkable courage.
The announcement advises parents to talk to their kids and stay informed of their whereabouts. “At this time, the worst thing we dread for our community is another tragedy.
“The Woods family was very clear in their message that they want to communicate, ‘Educate!’ despite the grief that is occurring. We want to inform families about sextortion and urge all families to check the social media accounts of their children to ensure their safety.
What do parents need to know about suicide contagion?
According to Headspace, an Australian government-funded mental health organization, suicides might raise the risk of other suicides in the same school, town, or location, a phenomenon known as “suicide contagion.”
According to Headspace, those who observed a death or had contact with a person just before they passed away are most in danger, as are those who can link to the departed person through shared experiences or cultural ties. They are also most at risk are that person’s close family and friends.
“Suicide is a difficult act with many potential causes. The statement from Streetsboro officials adds, “When talking about this with your family, it is crucial to discourage conversation about how the suicide occurred and focus on how your child feels.
The most crucial thing is to encourage good dialogues with your children during this trying time since everyone deals with sorrow in their own unique way.
In order to educate district parents and kids “about not only sextortion but other mental health problems essential to raising a child in today’s environment,” the school district and the municipal police department intend to work together.
Wain is reported in a different statement as saying, “It is our intention that by disseminating the message, we open up the lines of conversation between children, parents, educators, and police.” “One lost child is too many,”
24 Hrs Support and services for mental health
Call 988 for the nation’s crisis hotline.
Text “4HOPE” to 741741 to use the national text line. It can take around five minutes to reply to a text.
Lifelines from The Trevor Project (assistance for LGBTQ+ mental health):
1-866-488-7386 “START” can be texted to 678-678. A Trevor counselor who understands LGBTQ problems and won’t judge you will be assigned to you.
You can choose to disclose as much or as little information in each of your messages, which are all anonymous. Try a soothing activity to help you breathe and concentrate if you wind yourself having to wait. Alternatively, you can look through the LGBTQ Resource Center’s publications and information.
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.