Interpersonal Communication

This essay will be discussing five different topics that will explain effective communication. The first point that will be discussed will be; the process of verbal and non-verbal communication and the associated components of each. The second will be; differences between listening and hearing in communication. The third topic is; the formal and informal channels of communication in the criminal justice organizations. The forth topic is; different barriers to effective communication in criminal justice organizations. Last but not least the final topic that will be discussed is; strategies that may be implemented to overcome communication barriers in criminal justice organizations.

When it comes to communication there are two ways to communicate. That is verbal and non-verbal. Though it may seem obvious what each mean, it will be discussed further. Verbal commination is when people talk to communicate. There are both pro's and con's to verbal communication. A major advantage to verbal communication is that it makes it possible for a large group of people able to understand what the speaker is trying to portray. A good place for verbal communication would be in a meeting or a classroom, where the teacher or presenter is able to communicate to the class. A negative for using verbal communication would be when one would need to remember what is being told. Often when things are spoken, people tend to have problems remembering them due to the fact that there is so much information being spoken. Which leads to non-verbal communication, this was of communicating can be either written or by body language. By using writing and a form of communication the writer has to ensure that there is the use correct grammar and spelling. When it comes to body language, there are a lot of different mannerisms that could be read. If someone is on the verge of getting angry their body will be more rigid and less relaxed. On the other hand if the person is relaxed and calm, then their body will show that, might be with shoulders loose and arms to the side.

When it comes to listening and hearing some can relate to this quote from White Men Can't Jump- "Look man, you can listen to Jimi but you can't hear him. There's a difference man. Just because you're listening to him doesn't mean you're hearing him." So what's the difference between listening and hearing? Listening is being able to understand and relate to what is being said or discussed. Based on this quote and the explanation, the character played by Wesley Snipes has it backwards. A person can hear people talking on a train but not know what they are saying. Now if this person was trying to listen to the people talking then they could know what they were talking about. Same goes when two people are talking to each other. Person A could be saying something to person B, person B could be thinking about other things and not listen to what person A is saying, but they could hear person A. Married men and women are the