Effective Communication Paper

There are a lot of people in the world who take communication for granted. Statistics say “70% of the time we spend is communicating” (Harvey Wallace, 2009).We use verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication is any form of communication that involves using any words, written or signed, we communicate everyday whether it is talking face to face with a friend or a coworker. Verbal communication can even be a simple text message to the spouse. It can even be something on television, radio, voicemail etc. Those are all form of verbal communication. As human beings we use words to communicate rather than sounds and that is what sets us apart from other species. Verbal communication is quite important because it allows for clarification and providing information that may be otherwise missed using non-verbal cues. Verbal communication can also help create new relationships, stimulate creativity and thought and create opportunity for debate.

Non-verbal communication is the use of body language (i.e. Gestures, facial expressions, posture and eye contact). Touch is also a good non-verbal communication, when we touch someone it can indicate a person’s comfort level and feelings. In the Criminal Justice field a police officer uses non-verbal communication to be able to read cues from possible criminals. “A police officer's safety is dependent on their ability to nonverbally establish authority and dominance when working with the public in instances such as routine traffic stops” (Pinizzotto & Davis, 1999)

In the Criminal Justice field it’s important to have good communication skills but you want to be able to hear well and be a good listener. Some people assume that hearing and listening are the same thing but they are wrong. Hearing is the first step in the communication process. Hearing occurs when the ears pick up on the sound waves and transmit that to your brain. Listening is the next step in the communication process. If someone wants to be a good listener they must evaluate the message before responding. When you are listening, you should be thinking because a person’s thought process is faster than the speaking sounds and when you have a lag in between them it can possibly result in day dreaming. A good example of hearing and listening would be you hear the TV in the background but do you know what is going on?

In a law enforcement agency they have channels, which refers to the method by which information flows from one party to another. In Criminal Justice field there are 2 channels, formal and informal.

Formal Channel of communication are within the hierarchy of Criminal Justice Field. The chain of command direct the formal channels of upward, downward and horizontal. Upward Communication is the information from subordinate that travels to the bottom to its managers. Downward Communication is the information that travels from managers to subordinates, and lastly horizontal communication