Criminology

Communication can be defined as the process of sharing ideas, feelings and thoughts with others and having the ideas, thoughts and feelings be understood by them. It is an active process which involves speaking, listening and observation. Effective communication will always encompass the sharing of meaning and ardent understanding between the sender and the receiver of the message (Lordan, 2006). Communication process is made up of various components, which are factors that affect the effectiveness of the entire process of message transmission.  Communication always comprises of four components sender, message, receiver and the feedback (Lordan, 2006). The sender is the communicator sending the message and communication process is affected by the senders attitudes and meaningful symbols. Message is the second component, which can be a communication done in speech, writing or signals. The third component is the receiver. Receiver gets the message and makes sense out of it, understanding and translating the message into a meaningful element. The process of communication is cyclic, meaning that the receiver, after interpreting the message, he will have to respond and pass a new message. The receiver in this second scenario becomes the sender.  The response from the receiver is the fourth component of communication, which is the feedback.

Feedbacks can be verbal or even nonverbal.Differences between listening and hearing in communication
In any model of communication, there is a distinct manner in which the message is transmitted and it always involves the sender and the receiver. At the sender end, is the origin of the message and at the receiver end is the destiny of the message (Weiner, 2008). The message will only be understood and be served with the correct response only when it has been understood. Understanding is therefore an imperative element in communication. Listening will always be necessary for understanding the message (Weiner, 2008). It is an active process in any conversation. In hearing process, the sound waves only hit the ears cochlea that translates the sound perceived into various nerve impulses which the brain can process as per the language skills. It requires an individual to have more concentration while listening than hearing. It needs the brain to be engaged in the process of listening. If active brain engagement is not met, the sound that hits the cochlea will make no sense. The formal and informal channels of communication in criminal justice organizations

In a criminal justice organization, there are two types of communication channels that are widely employed the formal and the informal channels of communication. Formal channels consist of information flowing along the official lines of the criminal justice organization authorities. The formal channel usually involves the upward channel, the downward channel and the lateral channels (Temple, 2002). Within a criminal justice organization, a downward channel will always follow a specified chain of command usually from the top to the bottom. Upward communication is utilized in passing information from the subordinate to the superiors while lateral communication channels may involve the individuals from different departments in the court system meeting and discussing issues. This can be a court clerk manager and the courts IT manager communications. Informal communication involves two or more court employees who meet to discuss about their work place and what working in the court system encompasses. Unlike the formal communication channel, which has to be organized in terms of meeting room, the informal communication can take place in cafeterias, cubicles or in golf game (Temple, 2002). The channels can be through e-mail, phones, instant messaging or face to face communication.

Different barriers to effective communication
There are various barriers to effective communication. These barriers prevent the effective understanding of other peoples thoughts and ideas and usually occur at any section of communication loop consisting of components. It may occur in the message part, in the channel used for communication or in the feedback section (Weiner, 2008). Barriers are divided into internal and external. Internal barriers include poor skills in listening, fatigue, lack of interest, attitudes towards the communicator, mistrust, fear, past experience and so forth (Weiner, 2008). External barriers comprise of noise distraction, poor phone connections, problem with e-mail services, time of the day and the environment (Weiner, 2008).Strategies that may be implemented to overcome communication barriers
It is necessary that the barriers to effective communication are at all levels prevented and avoided as they cause the message not to be received in an effective way thus affecting the response. While making any form of communication, it is important for the communicator and the receiver to watch out for the possible barriers of commutation.  The actions of the receiver should carefully be monitored to ensure that the message is passed in the appropriate way the receiver most prefers. Checking the body language of the receiver can be important when communication is done face-to-face. The communicator or the sender of the message can check to ascertain that the message received by the receiver is the one that was sent. Finally, it is important to listen and ask questions (Weiner, 2008). These are the ingredients of effective communication.