Polygraphs Roles in Detection Physically and Mentally on Suspects - Research Paper Example

Polygraphs’ Roles in Detection Physically and Mentally on Suspects The Polygraph also referred as a lie detector is used in various dispensations in order to detect and unravel hidden information on a suspect in order to offer the truth regarding a particular agenda. The following exposition will espouse various roles of polygraph on suspects. In United States, the polygraph is used in the criminal investigation whereby the examiner unravels the truth regarding especial crimes that do not have the eye wittiness. Criminal acts such as sexual assault may occur without the eye wittiness, thus becoming difficult to justify the crime in a court of law. Victims of sexual assault may not be able to justify the events that led to the assault thus calling for the use of the polygraph on the perpetrators in order to tell the truth regarding such events. In criminal investigations, the perpetrators are bound to display various post-traumatic stress disorders such as anxiety and other emotional attributes that help the polygraph to detect the truth on a certain matter with ease (Rathus, 2010). The use of polygraphs has been employed by many prosecutors in the court of law to justify the truth on the case in the litigation, which helps to the criminal investigation. The polygraph is used in the military interrogations whereby the examiner of the polygraph detects the truth concerning the military information from a suspect. The polygraph may extend its purpose to the military personnel in order to assist them in to detect a post-traumatic stress disorder that may affect their emotions and behaviors especially after a combat in battles. A suspect holding military information is treated as a threat especially when such an individual is not in the discipline forces, which, therefore, requires the use of the polygraph in order to unravel the truth of such information. Military personnel are subjected to post- traumatic stress disorders after a series of combat, which, therefore, calls for the use of the polygraph in order to assist such a person in dealing with emotional and behavioral changes that follow major combats. The polygraphs enable an examiner to identify the emotional and behavioral changes that befall a military personnel thus helping the examiner to address the challenging issues, which subsequently enables the military personnel to cope with any post- traumatic stress disorders. The use of polygraph is used in settings such as the national security investigations in order to detect and establish the truthfulness of national security information that may pose as a threat if leaked to errant individuals. Suspects being investigated on national security issues may exhibit various signs of post- traumatic stress disorders thus enabling the polygraph to validate the truthfulness of the information he or she offers. Peace and harmony in the nation is a key component in the national agenda and, therefore, requires the examiners to employ polygraph in order to unravel the truthfulness of any information regarding the national security. In United States, the use of polygraph to detect and pinpoint the truth regarding national security information is a federally accepted move as it helps in identifying individuals with national security information. National security investigations help the United States in dealing with terror suspects as they pose as one of the leading national threats. The polygraph helps the examiners to detect other related persons and information that may challenge the national security, which aid the investigating officers in addressing national security issues. Polygraph is used to screen job applicants and employees in order to verify their competence and skills as outlined in their curriculum vitae. The polygraph enables individuals applying a job to illustrate their competences and abilities, which may facilitate such applicant in securing the job slot they are applying especially when they display the truthfulness of the qualifications the employer is looking. The polygraph enables the examiner to pinpoint the intentions of the person applying for the job thus eliminating individuals who may apply for a job with ill intention (Heilbrun& Greene, 2010). Employers are able to identify the truth regarding an issue that is disturbing in the workplace hence facilitating an enabling working environment. Corrupt activities such as fraud in the workplace may be traced with the help of the polygraph. The employers identify errant employees who are engaging in activities that are not supported by the ethics of the job especially when such employees displays post- traumatic stress disorders for instances, anxiety. Many people use polygraph to examine and obtain confessions in various aspects that demand confession. In marriages that are faced with infidelity, one of the partners may opt to employ the polygraph in order to unravel the truth regarding their marriages. Individuals use polygraph to detect and establish the truth regarding a particular issue he or she needs to confess. Many people who are in the quest to make a confession are subjected to signs of post- traumatic stress disorder, which pushes them to make a confession with the help of polygraph. Confessions supported by the polygraph are real as individuals are able to show their truth in the issue they are confessing. Many people may tend to trust confessions supported by the polygraph as the device represents the true nature of the matter an individual is confessing. Suspects who engage in making a confession in order to clear their name are verified with the help of the polygraph, which helps the examiner to ascertain that indeed the suspect has truthfully confessed all the information. Polygraph is used in sex offender treatment whereby the examiner can pinpoint the post-traumatic stress disorders that follow the appalling scenes of sex offences. Once the victim goes through the polygraph test, he, or she can communicate the emotional burdens he, or she is carrying. The examiner with the help of the results obtained from the polygraph test can be able to note the suitable therapy that is required to resolve the emminent quandaries facing the victim (Beech & Davies, 2012). The polygraph enables victims of sex offences to communicate the truth regarding the fateful event, which helps to set the stage in the hearing process, as individuals are able to share and thereby relieve from the post-traumatic stress disorders. Sex offenders may not be able to disclose the events that led to the offence and thereby the use of polygraph helps to facilitate such individuals in disclosing the truth regarding the event, which examiners use to deduce the required treatment. The polygraph may be used to monitor sex offenders to determine whether they are compliant with probation or parole conditions. In United States, the legal systems allow the use of polygraph in monitoring the compliance of the sex offenders. In numerous occasions, the sex offenders possess levels of post- traumatic stress disorder, which the legal system requires to be addressed during the probation period. The polygraph helps the examiner to detect the compliant offenders while identifying the offenders who are not complaint, which in turn helps the legal fraternity to take the necessary measure to the non- compliant individuals. Once the legal department is assured that the sex offender has complied with the probation conditions, it establishes the required punishment to the offender. To help resolve the post- traumatic stress disorders on the sex offender, the polygraph detects the nature of the disorder that helps to devise the required therapy such that the offender does not repeat the vice in future. References Beech, A, R and Davies, G, M. (2012).Forensic Psychology: Crime, Justice, Law, Interventions. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Heilbrun, K and Greene, E. (2010). Wrightsmans Psychology and the Legal System. Belmont, California: Cengage Learning Rathus, S, A. (2010). Psychology: Concepts & Connections, Brief Edition: PsykTrek 3.0 Enhanced Edition with User Guide and Printed Access Card. Ohio, OH: Wadsworth Read More