Non-verbal communication is critical when making a rule in law enforcement; they hint at what sound verdict can be based in a court of law. In most cases, people resort to non-verbal cues when faced with a threatening situation or are nervous about expressing their views openly (Virtual Academy, 2018). In this regard, the judges must consider an aspect of non-verbal communication, for instance, when listening to video footage that implicates the accused person in an alleged offense. Elements of non-verbal communication are essential to law enforcers because they help them infer what happened from video footage (Hall et al., 2019). According to the Virtual Academy (2018), non-verbal cues always show what really happened during a crime scene. In the same way, the meaning inferred from such incidence always depends on the cultural interpretation of non-verbal communication. In most cases, people employ non-verbal skills based on their respective cultural interpretations. For example, the lack of eye contact may mean submission to authority or deception-and this is crucial when making a judgment based on this form of communication.
More often during case hearings, the accused person’s response gives insights into whether they are guilty or not. According to research findings, people who might have been directly involved in an offense will be identified based on flight responses they elicit (Sweet & Burzette, 2018). Sweet and Burzette (2018) argued that people who took part in alleged criminal offenses show stress responses which elicit reactions such as facial flushing, sweating, and increased heart rate, to mention a few. However, not all victims exhibit these kinds of physiological reactions; people who have been involved in several criminal cases are unlikely to elicit any flight responses. Therefore, judges must not entirely rely on non-verbal cues when making a final determination of a case.
References
Hall, J. A., Horgan, T. G., & Murphy, N. A. (2019). Nonverbal communication. Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 271-294. Web.
Sweet, D. M., & Burzette, R. G. (2018). Development of the nonverbal cues of interpersonal violence inventory: Law enforcement officers’ perceptions of nonverbal behavior and violence. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 45(4), 519-540. Web.
Virtual Academy. (2018). 12 Elements of non-verbal communication [Video]. YouTube.