Challenges experienced by South African police officers when taking statements from victims with a communication disability
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Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Institute for Security Studies
Abstract
Police officers increasingly come into contact with persons with a communication disability in their line of duty. This study describes the challenges officers face when taking statements from such victims. Focus group discussions were conducted with South African police officers. Findings showed that they face a myriad of challenges in the statement-taking process. These could be categorised under four main themes: the transactional nature of communication, lack of resources to support communication during statement-taking, the vulnerability of complainants with communication disabilities, and police pessimism. The article recommends that disability sensitivity training, as well as training on communication disability, be provided to police officers.
Description
Keywords
Police officers, Line of duty, Communication, Challenges
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG-03: Good health and well-being
Citation
Viljoen, E., Tonsing, K., Bornman, J. 2023, 'Challenges experienced by South African police officers when taking statements from victims with a communication disability', SA Crime Quarterly, no. 72, pp. 27-40. https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3108/2023/vn72a15490.