CHAPTER 6: COMMUNICATING WITH A DIVERSE POPULATION
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The communication process involves:
a.
a sender.
b.
a message.
c.
a receiver.
d.
all of the above
2. Discrimination and prejudice are different but related. Some examples of discrimination include:
a.
giving warnings to females who violate traffic laws and issuing tickets to males for the
same violation.
b.
arresting a black man for driving while intoxicated.
c.
both a and b
d.
neither a nor b
3. The __________ encodes a message and then transmits the message.
a.
telephone
b.
transmitter
c.
sender
d.
receiver
4. According to the text, important individual characteristics in communication include all of the
following except:
a.
age.
b.
self-esteem.
c.
language skills.
d.
morals.
5. Tactical civility as taught by the Verbal Judo Institute stressed that officers cannot afford to show:
a.
politeness.
b.
professionalism.
c.
tactical verbal skills.
d.
a display of anger.
6. The communication process involves all of the following except:
a.
sender.
b.
feedback.
c.
portal.
d.
receiver.
7. ________________ assumes that all people within a specific group are the same; they lack
individuality.
a.
Racism
b.
Cultural diversity
c.
Stereotyping
d.
Racial profiling
8. Statements such as “The French are great lovers” are based on:
a.
notions.
b.
bias.
c.
stereotypes.
d.
history.
9. In the case of Pottinger v. City of Miami (1992), a U.S. District Court found the practice of
________________ unconstitutional.
a.
removing park benches
b.
bum sweeps
c.
panhandling
d.
loitering
10. Race-based enforcement:
a.
is discriminatory and illegal.
b.
is legal and justifiable.
c.
no longer occurs in the United States.
d.
is forensically viable.
11. The communication process involves:
a.
a sender and a message.
b.
a filter and a scope.
c.
both a and b
d.
neither a nor b
12. As stated in the text, which of the following statements is true regarding the overall -socioeconomic
structure of the U.S. population?
a.
The lower class is shrinking.
b.
The middle class is shrinking.
c.
The upper class is shrinking.
d.
The gap between the lower and upper classes is shrinking.
13. The formation of communities such as Chinatowns, Little Italys, and Little Havanas is an example of:
a.
assimilation.
b.
cultural pluralism.
c.
acculturation.
d.
racial profiling.
14. ________________ continues to increase, presenting unique challenges to community -policing efforts
aimed at enhancing citizens’ levels of trust, communication, and activism.
a.
Religious diversity
b.
Racism
c.
Cultural diversity
d.
Lack of officer education
15. Kinesics is useful in:
a.
conveying professionalism nonverbally.
b.
interpreting body language.
c.
“softening” official language.
d.
all of the above
16. Police officers who learn to “read” the nonverbal messages and body language of suspects, victims and
witnesses:
a.
are said to have developed a sixth sense.
b.
often say they have a “gut feeling.”
c.
sometimes describe it as a nagging suspicion.
d.
all of the above
17. Two critical barriers to communication in a diverse society are language barriers and:
a.
religious barriers.
b.
cultural barriers.
c.
racial barriers.
d.
physical barriers.
18. The amount of eye contact while speaking varies in the United States. According to the text, which
ethnic group maintains the lowest eye contact while speaking?
a.
Caucasian
b.
African Americans
c.
Hispanic
d.
Asian
19. In their traditional role of crime fighter, the police seldom interact with those from the ___________
socioeconomic class.
a.
lower
b.
middle
c.
upper-middle
d.
upper
20. Dealing with the homeless is challenging for the police because:
a.
homeless people seldom break the law and are, therefore, not a police problem.
b.
other resources (detox centers, crisis units, etc.) rigorously compete to provide services.
c.
being homeless is not a crime.
d.
most homeless people are alcoholics, drug addicts, or otherwise prone to violence.
21. Italian American, African American, and Asian American are examples of what is sometimes known
as the _____________ American.
a.
pluralistic
b.
hyphenated
c.
ethnocentric
d.
multicultural
22. Deinstitutionalization refers to:
a.
an inmate’s release from prison.
b.
providing support services for the retarded or mentally ill in the community rather than in
institutions.
c.
renaming establishments to eliminate “institution” from the name.
d.
making institutions more homelike for residents.
23. Problems associated with homeless persons include:
a.
homeless camps.
b.
public intoxication.
c.
abuse.
d.
all of the above
24. A person who has a temporary breakdown in coping skills is:
a.
mentally ill.
b.
mentally retarded.
c.
in crisis behavior.
d.
contemplating suicide.
25. Epileptic seizure symptoms may include:
a.
stiffening, jerking motions.
b.
garbled, incoherent speech.
c.
glassy-eyed staring and aimless wandering.
d.
all of the above
26. Dr. George Thompson is the founder of:
a.
Verbal Judo.
b.
Verbal Tae Kwon Do.
c.
Verbal Karate.
d.
Verbal Effectiveness.
27. Police officers are most likely to obtain cooperation from citizens if they:
a.
treat others with respect.
b.
engage in process-oriented policing.
c.
arrest the offender.
d.
follow up on reports taken.
28. Which of the following statements is not true concerning attention deficit hyperactivity -disorder?
a.
It is one of the most common disruptive behavior disorders in youths, with an estimated
5 to 10 percent of all children having it.
b.
It is characterized by fidgeting, distractibility, and lack of self-control.
c.
It affects more girls than boys.
d.
The condition often disappears by adulthood.
29. Learning disabilities affect 5–10 million children in the United States. Some of the most common
characteristics are:
a.
poor memory and difficulty following directions.
b.
eye-hand coordination problems.
c.
poor reading ability leading to the label of “underachiever.”
d.
all of the above
30. According to the text, a temporary breakdown in coping skills by a person who is not -mentally ill is
known as:
a.
strange behavior
b.
event behavior
c.
crisis behavior
d.
disorderly behavior
31. Things such as nodding, pointing a finger, and shrugging are examples of:
a.
verbal communication.
b.
effective communication.
c.
good communication traits.
d.
gestures in communication.
32. Many police officers, in addition to understanding nonverbal messages, also develop an -ability to
interpret body language, also called:
a.
body mapping.
b.
nonverbal reads.
c.
seventh sense.
d.
kinesics.
33. The CIT model combines police officers with what other professionals?
a.
doctors
b.
nurses
c.
university professors
d.
mental health professionals
34. The use of ___________, the technical language of a profession, is a barrier to -communication.
a.
10 codes
b.
terms
c.
jargon
d.
feedback
35. Preference for one’s own way of life over all others is known as:
a.
assimilation.
b.
acculturation.
c.
ethnocentrism.
d.
cultural pluralism.
36. According to the text, reasons victims give for not reporting a crime to the police include:
a.
belief that the police will be unable to do anything.
b.
fear that they won’t be believed.
c.
fear of reprisal and threats.
d.
all of the above
37. Discrimination is:
a.
a behavior.
b.
an attitude.
c.
both a and b
d.
neither a nor b
38. The disabilities that police officers encounter the most frequently are:
a.
touch impairment.
b.
kinesics impairment.
c.
mobility impairment.
d.
taste impairment.
39. Of the items listed below, which is not a common communication barrier?
a.
lack of time
b.
failure to listen
c.
lack of feedback
d.
avoidance of the use of jargon
TRUE/FALSE
1. The homeless are more often the victims of crime than the perpetrators.
2. A survey documented in the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics (2004) found that Black and
nonblack (White and other minority) police officers strongly agree about the -significance of race in
how citizens are treated by police.
3. According to the text, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by the year 2030 nearly one in five people
will be age 30 or younger.
4. Polls cited in the text find that Americans are less concerned today about immigration,
5. Reliance on generalizing may result in stereotyping.
6. The officer’s “body language” is very important when communicating with the public.
7. Roughly 55 million people in this country, 20 percent of the U.S. population, speak a language other
than English at home.
8. Providing help to victims originated as a grassroots effort in the 1990s to help battered women.
9. The “veil–of–darkness” method has been proposed as an approach to test for racial profiling in a
department’s traffic stop practices.
10. Most of the violent individuals the police deal with are mental patients whose treatment plans have
lapsed.
11. Nonverbal communication includes everything other than the actual words spoken in a -message such
as tone, pitch, and pacing.
12. Many of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are identical to those of intoxication.
13. According to the text, police officers may have more barriers to communication because of the image
they convey.
14. Under the ADA, all government brochures and printed material must be available in Braille or on
audiotape if requested.
15. Incidents that may bring Alzheimer’s patients into contact with the police include driving -difficulties,
false 911 reports, indecent exposure, shoplifting, and trespassing.
16. Communities across the country have enacted out-right bans or placed extreme restrictions on
providing food to the indigent and homeless.
17. Effective communicators recognize their own and others’ biases and prejudices.
18. Mental illness and crisis behavior are the same thing.
19. Research has found law enforcement involves significantly more verbal interaction than physical
interaction.
20. A prejudice that inhibits objectivity and can evolve into hate.
21. Listening skills cannot be improved.
22. Developing the trust and confidence of new immigrant populations is essential for effective policing.
23. Feedback is sometimes involved in the communication process.
24. Nonverbal communication does not include a person’s appearance.
SHORT ANSWER
1. The use of ___________________, technical language of a profession, can be a barrier to
communication.
2. ___________________ results when a person who is not mentally ill has a temporary -breakdown in
coping skills.
3. The very language used to refer to others can interfere with ___________________.
4. Assimilation, also referred to as ___________________, was, indeed, what happened among the early
colonists.
5. An alternative to assimilation is ___________________ with diverse cultures peacefully coexisting.
6. Victims often suffer from ___________________, a persistent reexperiencing of a traumatic event
through intrusive memories, dreams, and a variety of anxiety-related symptoms.
7. The term ___________________ is sometimes used to refer to children exposed to cocaine while in
the womb. They may exhibit social, emotional and cognitive problems.
8. The leading known cause of mental retardation in the Western world, __________________, includes
effects such as impulsivity, inability to predict consequences or to use appropriate judgment in daily
life, poor communication skills, high levels of activity, and distractibility in small children and
frustration and depression in adolescents.
9. When police use certain racial characteristics, such as skin color, as indicators of criminal activity, the
practice is commonly referred to as _________________
10. A dilemma facing law enforcement and the immigration issue is whether police can build
_______________ with immigrant communities if they are also to gather intelligence and enforce
immigration law.
ESSAY
1. Describe the two critical barriers to communication in a diverse society. What can police do to
overcome these barriers?
2. Describe and give examples of the results of being victimized.
3. Discuss and explain racial profiling and how it affects the community and law enforcement.
4. The sociological literature on ethnic and racial diversity has three theories on the consequences of two
or more cultures inhabiting the same geographic area. Describe these theories and how they affect law
enforcement.
5. Cities across the nation have tried numerous legislative and other tactical measures in their efforts to
eliminate or minimize the problems presented by the homeless. Identify these efforts and the success
or failure of each method. What are the constitutional limitations dealing with the enforcement of these
laws?