Cja 304 Barriers to Effective Communication
Barriers to Effective Communication
Nikkeya West
CJA 304
March 1, 2012
Clark Nissen
University Of Phoenix
Abstract The importance of communication in all professions is often under-estimated. In the criminal justice field there is no excuse for misconception and one mistake could affect multiple parties. This paper will outline the barriers in effective communication, how they affect the criminal justice field and more importantly how to overcome such barriers. We will explore the process of communication, it’s components, informal and formal forms of communication and then the difference between listening and hearing.
Communication Process Communication often times involves two people; a sender and a receiver. With law enforcement this can involve interpersonal communication between a citizen and an officer or between a detective and an officer; or it can be group communication in which parties of three of more are involved in communicating amongst each other. The communication process involves five of the following steps: Transmitting an idea, sending the idea through a medium, the receiver acquiring the message and decoding it, Understanding the message through decoding and then the last step providing feedback to the sender. However many parties are present, communication exists of three main components: Verbal, Paraverbal and nonverbal messages. (Wallace, 2009) With the use of the communication process and the following three components we can clearly begin to understand the message of the sender. Verbal communication is the act of speaking or writing and the select word choice we use to get a message to the receiver. The general message one intends to get across such as a simple order from a higher level officer will reach the receiver and they begin to decode the message. Depending on the word choice, it can either lead to misconception or be fully understood for its intentions. For example the sender may say something equivalent to “Did
Nikkeya West
CJA 304
March 1, 2012
Clark Nissen
University Of Phoenix
Abstract The importance of communication in all professions is often under-estimated. In the criminal justice field there is no excuse for misconception and one mistake could affect multiple parties. This paper will outline the barriers in effective communication, how they affect the criminal justice field and more importantly how to overcome such barriers. We will explore the process of communication, it’s components, informal and formal forms of communication and then the difference between listening and hearing.
Communication Process Communication often times involves two people; a sender and a receiver. With law enforcement this can involve interpersonal communication between a citizen and an officer or between a detective and an officer; or it can be group communication in which parties of three of more are involved in communicating amongst each other. The communication process involves five of the following steps: Transmitting an idea, sending the idea through a medium, the receiver acquiring the message and decoding it, Understanding the message through decoding and then the last step providing feedback to the sender. However many parties are present, communication exists of three main components: Verbal, Paraverbal and nonverbal messages. (Wallace, 2009) With the use of the communication process and the following three components we can clearly begin to understand the message of the sender. Verbal communication is the act of speaking or writing and the select word choice we use to get a message to the receiver. The general message one intends to get across such as a simple order from a higher level officer will reach the receiver and they begin to decode the message. Depending on the word choice, it can either lead to misconception or be fully understood for its intentions. For example the sender may say something equivalent to “Did
Cited: Shaw, M. (2003, September 8). Hearing Vs. Listening. Retrieved March 2, 2012, from NetworkWorld: http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/2003/0908manage1.html Wallace, H., & Roberson, C. (2009). Written and interpersonal communication: Methods for law enforcement (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.