Barriers to Effective Communication CJS/304 August 11, 2013

Communication is the process of by which information is exchanged from one person to another or even a group of individuals through behavior, signs, or symbols. Communication is

used daily around the clock around the world. There are many observations that indicate the average person spends between 70 and 80 percents of his or her time communicating while awake. Communication takes place when one mind so acts upon its environment that another mind is influenced, and in that other mind an experience occurs which is like the experience in the first mind, and is caused in part by that experience (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). Communication consist of three components which are verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal. In the criminal justice system formal and informal are the two channels of communication that are focused upon and play a very important role within the criminal justice system. Communication is a five step process and all of the steps are important to include an effective communication process. The first step of the communication process is transmission which is the formation of thoughts that are needed and wanted to be expressed. The second step is the medium which determine how one wants to transmit and send the idea which may include written or oral communication and actions. The third step is receiving the message which is the reverse of message transmission (audience). The fourth step is to understand the idea which important because the content has to be made clear and concise so that the receiver understands. The final step is the feedback to the message sender which ends the communication loop and the sender receives data indicating the message was understood. Any information or ideas that are transmitted through the process of communication is done by one of the three components of communication which is verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal. Verbal communication is the common way to communicate which could be face-to-face or by phone. Nonverbal communication is transmitted through writing and body language, and paraverbal which is transmitted through tone, pitch, and the pace in which an idea is transmitted.

Listening and hearing are also important aspects within communicating which can easily be misunderstood. Hearing is defined as a process or part of listening in which sound waves by detected by the ears and then processed to the brain for interpretation then once that part is completed thats where listening occur. One of the most important factors in listening is not being distracted during the hearing process so that the brain can process the information transmitted to the brain; however, because the thought process is quicker than the speed of which an individual can speak it is much easy to be distracted. In the criminal justice system organizations there are formal and informal channels of communication. Formal channels of communication are typically used by a term or phrase called chain of command. Chain of command is the communication within an organization through formal orders, directives, and written memorandums which maintains the security and organization within law enforcement agencies. Formal channels may appear to be an ideal channel of communication through a chain of command but it has its cons. Informal channels of communication is the opposite of formal channels and presents the cons for formal channels. Informal channels of communication are the unofficial routes of communication within law enforcement agencies. For example, an informal channel that may occur within an agency is the interaction between detectives and patrol officers whom may question a report or statement written by patrol officer. Although the two channels of communication may be different and informal channels of communication may not be the typical ideal way to communicate, informal channels could be convenient and save time in some instances. To have effective communication there are four barriers to overcome which includes ineffective listening, emotional barriers, physical barriers and semantic barriers. All of these barriers can have a negative influence in the effectiveness in communication for the sender and

receiver. Emotional barriers can be present within the sender or receiver and could affect the communication process because of the fear of rejection, stress, which can transform the communication process and end with ineffective communication. Physical barriers are the aspect of an environment that makes communication more difficult which may include equipment malfunctions, not having the amount of staff needed to run an organization, or to simplify the meaning, anything that may slow down the flow of information. Semantic barriers are defined as the inability to agree on the meaning of certain terms, with a resulting loss in the ability to communicate clearly (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). For an example, if a word or phrase is not made clear, the receiver could and possibly misunderstand the intent of the message. Ineffective listening, the last barrier and just as important as the others is the failure to hear or receive information from the sender. Infective listening almost always leads to something bad and especially within the criminal justice system. For example, a lieutenant at a prison tells an officer to call a certain inmate up to the intake building for release and to verify his DOC number before changing into his clothes; however, because there are over 600 inmates on the unit an officer assumes the inmate is the right inmate and dont verify his or her DOC number but later realize there were two inmates with the name Chris Brown. Barriers is a structure such as a fence or any material that can block a passage and in the criminal justice system or simply communication, it would be considered a message which has been blocked. In the attempt to overcoming communication barriers, there are several strategies that can be used. One way to overcome communication barriers is to focus on what is being said rather than physical appearances and distractions. Being consistent with verbal and nonverbal cues meaning, trying not to distract the receiver with facial expressions and hand gestures. This means understanding and being aware of the situation and its seriousness. The last strategy is trying to

understand others even if there is a cultural, religious, sex, creed, and race difference which means being considerate to others. Communication may sound simple and easy to do, but its not when being used in the criminal justice system or even in a professional environment. To have effective communication, it must first and always go through the four steps: transmission, medium, receiver, and understand. Effective communication is important in the criminal justice system so that the organization could operate properly and it is also important that formal and informal channels of communication barriers are overcome as it has its contributions to success.

References Wallace, H., & Roberson, C. (2009). Written and Interpersonal Communication: Methods for Law Enforcement (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.