StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Code of Silence: Good or Bad - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The author of the paper "Code of Silence: Good or Bad?" states that if we are to determine whether the appropriateness of the code, we will need to include a discussion on what constitutes the goodness or the wickedness of an act. Venturing into this would be exhaustive and too wide a discussion…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.2% of users find it useful
Code of Silence: Good or Bad
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Code of Silence: Good or Bad"

A Code of Silence is when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily. The logic behind this principle is that being a whistleblower may endanger the rest of the association or organization. In the legal setting, the code of silence is believed to be prevalent in the armed forces where data regarding operations and technological developments are kept secret for the sake of national security. It could also be found in the corporate setting especially in banks which can keep the anonymity of clients.

   The code of silence is usually either kept because of force or danger to oneself or being branded as a traitor or an outcast within the unit or organization which particularly holds true in a police setting as studies would show. It was famously practiced in Massachusetts police departments in cities such as Charlestown, South Boston, and Somerville. All over the world, there are many stories about police abuse of authority or police/military brutality and the death of a criminal, and most of these stories are linked with the code of silence.

The code also exists among many organizations even those which are criminal in nature. A more famous example of the code of silence is Omerta which made the Mafia such an indiscrete and almost impenetrable organization.          I would argue that the Code of Silence is inappropriate when it makes loyalty to people a higher priority than loyalty to principles. To qualify further, the principles should be within the bounds of moral and legal codes.

Policemen, for example, pride themselves in being the vanguards of society. Ideally, they should be promoting law and order. However, a study conducted by the National Institute of Ethics in the United States revealed that there were many cases of abuse of police officers particularly that of superiors that were undisclosed. This included excessive use of force, having sex on duty, and taking marijuana. The Code of Silence was indeed prevalent and officers observed it as they fear for their life, employment, and social status (Trautman, 2000).

In this case, the code of silence was used to protect the people that were offenders themselves rather than upholding the principles that govern the institution. 

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(The Police Code of Silence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words, n.d.)
The Police Code of Silence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. https://studentshare.org/social-science/1520311-the-code-of-silence
(The Police Code of Silence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
The Police Code of Silence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/social-science/1520311-the-code-of-silence.
“The Police Code of Silence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”. https://studentshare.org/social-science/1520311-the-code-of-silence.
  • Cited: 4 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Code of Silence: Good or Bad

Terms good and bad Death

So what constitutes a good or bad death?... The author of this essay critically explores the terms,"good" and "bad" death in the context of contemporary Western societies.... Moreover, the writer represents his thoughts on the theme and reveals what differentiates a "good death” from a “bad death”.... Green agrees with the classification of good and bad death.... "bad death" Young and Cullen (1996) argue that there are some circumstances that result to a bad death both to the affected and those left behind....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Code Of Silence among police officers

hellip; Phrases such as "the police family", "the police brotherhood", and "the blue code of silence" reflect the tribal system.... The National Institute of Ethics has concluded the most extensive research ever conducted on the police code of silence.... I want to focus on the tribal value system-the one that allows an officer to believe that almost all people are bad, as expressed in the first sentence.... s and the two percent that are good are cops....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Issue of Police Misconduct

Why is police misconduct seen as being so terrible It is because they are the ones who solve our problems for us and put the bad guys away.... They are not supposed to be the bad guys themselves.... However, it is almost understandable that police would fall prey to these types of actions since their jobs constantly place them in situations where they are with "bad guys" every day, and there are obviously some opportunities for great temptation to occur (Johnson and Cox, 2004-5)....
7 Pages (1750 words) Term Paper

Fair Values Good, Historical Costs Bad

The paper "Fair Values Good, Historical Costs bad" discusses the accounting profession that has decided on a new set of standards for the valuation of assets.... 50), one of the first mantras of the animals after taking over the farm was “Four legs good, two legs bad!... rdquo; as a way to commit to the memory of the victorious four-footed rebels the first two commandments of the new regime: that men (two-legs) are bad and animals (four legs) are good....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Superstitions: an Objective Perspective

nother classy example of this would be that walking under a ladder brings misfortune or bad luck to the person.... (Ed Zotti, “Why do we say God Bless You”)Different countries associate superstitions with bad luck.... For example in Western folklore people view Friday the 13th as an ominous day because they believe that something bad would definitely take place on that date.... But for people in most other continents, Friday is a very auspicious day and one that brings them good luck....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Computer Science

Values or routine with regard to good or bad conduct.... Since we have faith in in something being good or bad.... Moral individual even if conceivably certain by a higher agreement, may opt to trail a code of conduct as it would relate to an ethic framework "Make it fit".... While moralities also recommend dos and donts, principles is eventually a subjective scope of good and bad.... Certainly more and more individuals reason that for several moral concers there isnt a single good response just a collection of...
4 Pages (1000 words) Coursework

Doping and Violence in Sports - What Is Price of Glory

Everything else is just not good enough.... This paper “Doping and Violence in Sports - What Is Price of Glory?... rdquo; attempts to discuss sports outrage and stimulants in professional and amateur sports, and their results to the sporting community and infants' ideals.... The article mentions appropriate cases in the international athletic arena....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

Bad Language and Restrictions of Swearing

The essay "bad Language" discusses how swearing as a form of vulgar language is a term that is considered as a taboo in various cultures.... nbsp;Some actions are taboo, but this does not mean they are entirely forbidden.... Sex is a taboo action, but when done at the right time and place it becomes a motivating factor....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us