After reviewing the document on verbal and physical behavioral indicators and the materials presented in Unit 3, identify any communications you have had or observed with individuals where you may ha

Physical Behavior Indicators – cues in the way a person’s body reacts to the situation – body language – revealing extreme stress  No Look Maneuver – This signal occurs before the encounter ever takes place. At an intersection, for example, a motorist absolutely refuses to look towa rd the officer. An offender who has something to hide will resort to an exaggerated effort to avoid direct eye contact with the police in a chance encounter.  Restlessness – a high level of stress often causes a person to be very fidgety. In response to questions, they shift positions, crossing and uncrossing arms. A stressed person may also try to move away from you, attempting to increase their comfort zone in order to reduce anxiety.  False fatigue – signs of fatigue may actually be efforts by the bod y to relieve stress. This may be seen in the form of frequent yawning or sighing.  Dry Mouth – the subject may swallow repeatedly and lick his lips. These are indicators of stress -induced dryness in the mouth and throat.  Sweating – if you encounter a person who is profusely perspiring, regardless of weather conditions, he may be experiencing extreme stress. Stress sweating is most notable on the brow and hands. (Note it may also be the result of physical activity, i.e. sports, ru nning from the scene of a burglary).  Pseudo -Smile – watch for sudden changes in facial expressions. The subject answers questions with a straight face, but when you ask him a hot question like whether he has guns or drugs in the car, he smiles briefly wh en he answers.  Leaky Neck – the carotid arteries on either side of the neck can become very pronounced as blood pressure and pulse rate increase under stress. The skin will flush and the larynx may bob up and down. Women tend to move their hands to thei r throat in high stress situations. Men may rub the backs of their necks.  Pointer Movements – some hunting dogs are trained to “point” at their target so the hunter can find it. In a stress situation, some violators will do the same thing. When asked i f they have any drugs, their hand immediately goes to the pocket containing the drugs or their eyes will look where the stash is hidden.  Surrender Signals – during a field interview, a subject may turn his palms up in an uncertain or helpless gesture whe n he says he doesn’t know or cannot Physical & Verbal Behavior Indicators CRJ311 – Effective Communications for Criminal Justice Professionals remember something. He is unconsciously signaling that he “gives up” and you have caught him.  Fidgety Hands – a person’s hands often shake because of stress. Trembling hands exhibited by a teenager or person who has n ever encountered the police may not be so unusual. But pay close attention to those who wring or squeeze their hands. A person under stress may:  Use hands to cover mouth or eyes  Constantly smooth hair, play with jewelry, pick lint off clothing, and oth er nervous movements. Verbal behavioral indicators – cues in a person’s manner of speaking that indicate stress or deception. Car belongs to friend that he can’t remember his name, etc.  Discrepancy Statements – statements inconsistent with known facts or evidence.  Contradiction – conflicts between the statements of multiple parties. Separate the parties involved. Keep interview as “non -confrontational” as if you are just passing the time of day.  Implausibi lity – explanations too far -fetched to believe.  Hesitanc y – the subject pauses, even if briefly, before answering simple questions that would normally prompt an immediate answer. Such as “where are you headed?” a deceitful person, knowing he has something to hide may delay giving you a straight forward thing like his name, address, etc.  Stalling – if the person skirts the question or delays giving a direct answer, he may be stalling to buy time or correct an answ er. A person with something to hide may clear his throat, say “ah…, um…, etc.”, or say “That’s a good question” simple questions such as “where are you headed?” may be answered with “Huh?”, or repeating the question to buy time. Others may go into dis sertation on their car trouble, the weather, or other smoke screens, hoping you will forget the real question. Others may make it difficult to get the whole story by only giving you minimal information in response to questions.  Stumbling Speech – some p eople talk fine, but ask the right questions and suddenly begin slurring words, stammering, and leaving off the ends of sentences. Liars may also mumble or speak too softly to be heard clearly.  Changing Answers – in response to a key question that the su bject gives you, ask “Are you sure?” Act as if his answer makes no sense. He may change his response, back off slightly, or hesitate before answering again.  Memory Lapses – be very suspicious of people who forget routine or important information they should automatically know (like zip codes, etc.) a person with nothing to hide should rarely hesitate in giving birth dates, destinations, the names of other occupants, and s o forth. Don’t accept responses of “I don’t know,” etc. Pin them down  Repetition – a person who repeats a story over and over again may think you will believe lies if you hear them enough. Like the song says. “That’s my story and I’m, sticking to it.” Also be wary of those people who put great emphasis on their unimportant details but gloss over the critical issues.  Unfinished Business – just when the person is getting to the critical point in a statement or explanation, the story ends abruptly with a comment like, “That’s about it.” “That’s all I can tell you,” or “There’s not much more to tell.” What he is really saying is, “There’s much more to the story.”  Diversion – sometimes a person with something to hide will try to get you off track and cha nge the subject. He may try to control the conversation and shift attention away from him or the issue at interest. He may ask about your experience, the type of gun you carry, or other trivia to change the subject.  Qualifiers and Affirmations – be alert for expressions designed to influence you favorably that may be added to the beginning or end of a sentence:  “Honest to God Officer…”  “To tell the truth…,”  “To the best of my knowledge…”  “I swear on my mother’s grave”  “…as God is my witness.”  “…and that’s about it.”