Running head: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Effective Communication Denise G. Silven CJA/304 Interpersonal Communications April 9, 2012 Lance Spivey

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Effective Communication Communication is defined as a process involving several steps among two or more persons, for the primary purpose of exchanging information and is both a simple and a complex series of events. Effective communication requires verbal communication skills and nonverbal communication skills. Additionally, the process of communication requires the ability to listen and hear, which do not mean the same thing. These skills will be discussed in the following paragraphs. (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). Verbal communication skills, also known as oral communication skills, consist of a persons ability to speak clearly and concisely with one person or many people. The process of

verbal communication consists of words being spoken by one person and heard by another person. Verbal communication is necessary in a criminal justice environment when one police officer is speaking to the general public at the scene of an accident, requesting assistance from other police officers, advising a suspect of his or her Miranda rights, or reporting to a superior officer the results of a request made by the superior officer. An example of verbal communication would be a police officer that needs to request observers of the community to clear the way for an ambulance. (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). Nonverbal communication skills, also known as written communication skills, consist of a persons ability to write clearly and convey information in writing that is understandable by anyone that may need to refer to this information. The process of nonverbal communication consists of words being written or typed and read by other people. Nonverbal communication is necessary in a criminal justice environment for completing a police report, drafting summaries, or understanding written policy directives. An example of nonverbal communication would be the completion of a police report to be used at the trial of a burglary suspect. It is important that this

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION police report be written so as to be clearly understood at a trial that may be conducted several weeks or months after the crime has been committed. Both verbal communication and nonverbal communication have components that are different as well as similar. (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). The components of verbal communication would be words that are spoken, how those words are spoken, the tone of the speakers voice, and the body language of the speaker. Even though body language is more of a type of nonverbal communication, it can affect the way a person interprets the words being spoken. A person who speaks with his or her arms crossed may be considered by the listener as bored or uninterested in carrying on a conversation. The components of nonverbal communication would be body movements, also considered body language, facial expressions, voice, distance, and touch. Again, body movements speak volumes when someone is speaking. It can determine how the speaker is perceived by the listener or listeners. Also, facial expressions can set the tone for a conversation. If a person has a frown on his or her face and they are mumbling or speaking in a low tone of voice, more than likely the listener is not going to take the speaker seriously or feel as though the speaker is not interested in having that particular conversation.

As previously mentioned, listening and hearing do not have the same meaning. The first step of the communication process is hearing. This occurs when a persons ears physically pick up sound waves, which are then transmitted to the brain. The second step of the communication process is listening which is the act of working (thinking) while the speaker is talking. For example, Joe walks into the office and asks Sally a question. Sally hears Joe ask her a question, but to respond properly, Sally needs to think about the answer to Joes question and then state this answer. (Wallace & Roberson, 2009).

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION The process of communication also has two channels it flows through from the sender to the receiver: a formal channel and an informal channel. The traditional route or method of

communication in any police organization usually follows the chain of command. In other words, types of communications such as formal orders, directives, and written memorandums usually flow from superior officers down to patrol officers. For example, information regarding a rise in crime in a certain part of town would need to be relayed by a superior officer to the patrol officers of that area. (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). The other channel of communication, the informal channel, also known as the grapevine, is the unofficial route of communication within a criminal justice environment. This channel serves as more than a conduit for idle gossip. It provides a necessary link within the organization. The most common type of informal channel would be an interaction between detectives and patrol officers. For example, Patrol Officer John remembers something about a crime that he accidentally forgot to include in his report. John would speak with the detective assigned to the case, relay the information, and file a follow-up report with this information. (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). Thus far, the communication process appears to be quite simple. However, there are barriers that can cause a breakdown in communication. The four basic categories of obstacles to effective communication are: (1) emotional barriers, (2) physical barriers, (3) semantic barriers, and (4) ineffective listening. (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). An emotional barrier would be evident when a person is unable to make an assertive statement. If a police officer fears ridicule, he or she will not participate in a conversation. For example, three officers are discussing their different theories with respect to a major accident.

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Two of the officers express their theories about what caused the accident, but the third officer does not state his or her theory due to a fear of being laughed at. (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). Physical barriers are the aspects of an environment that make communication difficult. This type of barrier would include a rigid chain of command or equipment malfunction. An example would be an officer who notices a suspect committing a crime but is unable to call for back-up because his or her radio is not operating. Semantic barriers are a persons inability to agree on the meaning of certain terms. This would result in a breakdown in communication. For example, Officer Smith refers to a person he arrested as retarded. One officer could interpret Officer Smiths description to mean the suspect is mentally challenged while another officer might interpret Officer Smith to mean the suspect was stupid. The fourth barrier to effective communication is ineffective listening. In other words, a person fails to hear or receive the message being sent by the person speaking. An example of ineffective listening would be Officer Martin is sitting at roll-call and the officer in charge is giving instructions to Officer Martin regarding a change in his patrol route for the day. Because Officer Martin is upset due to an argument he had with his wife before leaving home, he does not listen to these instructions and proceeds to patrol his regular route. Overcoming these communication barriers may not be possible in every situation; however, some strategies to be considered would be: (1) police organizations performing routine maintenance on all equipment to ensure it is operating properly; (2) police organization administrators creating a peer support system to provide counseling; and (3) regular encouragement for officers to ask questions any time something is unclear.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Reference