Barriers Of Communication In The Criminal Justice System

Communication is part of our everyday lives. Without communication understanding one another may be challenging. To be able to comprehend what communication is one must understand the process of communication and the components of it. In this paper I will discuss the difference between hearing and listening along with the different channels within the criminal justice system. Barriers of communications and the strategies that may be implemented to overcome these barriers will also be explored. Communication is a continuous process that involves the exchange of both verbal and nonverbal messages among two or more people. It consists of five key elements; sender, medium, message, receiver, and feedback. The sender is the person who initiates
There are four basic barriers that affect communication within the criminal justice system; emotional, physical, semantics, and ineffective listening. These barriers may affect both the sender and the receiver, and cause communication to fail. An emotional barrier may include feelings of rejection or embarrassment when asked for their input. Low self esteem is one of the biggest emotional barriers in any form of communication. If one has low self esteem it may be difficult to express their opinion for fear of rejection by fellow officers. A physical barrier is anything in the environment that could cause communication to fail. Faulty equipment, the rigid chain of command, and even the distance between officers can be physical barriers. Anything that can disrupt the flow of communication is considered a physical barrier. Semantics is the study of the meaning of words. More figuratively speaking, the inability to agree on the meaning of words, phrases, or signs are semantics. One officer’s interpretation of what statement means may not be that of other officers. Ineffective listening is the final barrier to effective communication. This means a failure to receive, understand, and interpret the message that is being transmitted. Many factors such as personal problems and loss of interest can contribute to ineffective
One can actually listen without hearing. Hearing is the first step in communication and requires your ears to pick up sound waves and then transmit them to the brain. The next step is listening and in order to be successful it must be an active process. Listening requires one to actively listen and concentrate on the message being transmitted in order to process and understand it prior to responding. Good listening skills require one to concentrate, interpret, and evaluate the message in order to respond effectively. It requires one to stop thinking about anything else and focus on what is being