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Voluntary Polygraph Pre-Employment tests are a means of assuring prospective employers they are hiring someone honest, mature, and reliable. The old-fashioned method of sending background investigators to question job applicants' friends, relatives and neighbours is both time consuming and inaccurate. It relies on personal opinion and rumour, and is further hampered by the restraint that previous employers and supervisors feel due to fear of being accused of slander. The Psychophysiological truth verification test (Polygraph examination) saves investigators and Human Resource professionals time and money. The examination provides suitable applicants additional evidence for employment agencies and prospective employers of their truthful character. The pre-employment Polygraph test can therefore increase candidates’ chances for advertised positions. Polygraph testing finds application in the workplace, in Government as well as the private sector. Pre-employment screening of law enforcement applicants is widely used in the United States and is particularly useful in preventing police corruption. Given the complex nature of police work, with its physical and emotional demands, the pre-employment screening helps identify the most qualified applicants to become Police Officers. Early detection of an undesirable aspirant for any law-enforcement agency is an effective preventative measure against corruption, and the mistreatment or abuse of power by members of the organisation in the future. Pre-employment screening is not only advantageous for Government agencies, law-enforcement, defence and national security organisations. An individual applying for a position requiring honesty and integrity will also benefit by proving the truthfulness of his or her statements. An applicant should be in a position to demonstrate truthfulness regarding
inappropriate habits (using illicit drugs, alcohol), unacceptable behaviour
(bullying, internal theft, sexual harassment), and on past employment.
It is also a useful tool to check the truthfulness of a candidate's statements
regarding qualification, education or/and work experiences. A candidate
with a high level of honesty and integrity is not just a potential asset
for any company or organisation, but he or she is more likely to be prioritised
in the selection process for a rewarding and responsible position. Employers who would greatly benefit from pre-employment polygraph testing include pharmaceutical industry, financial institutions, insurance companies, security companies dealing with transportation of cash, precious metal or jewellery, and performing executive escorting, or the role of an armed guard. Screening potential candidates applying for careers working with disadvantaged people, children and youth could also be extremely advantageous for employers and candidates, ensuring that only the individuals with the highest developed honesty and clear criminal past are allowed to work in such trusted occupations. In the era where we are experiencing an increased exposure of children to child pornography and/or paedophiles, Polygraph pre-employment testing should become a minimum standard in checking potential professionals. Professional organisations dealing with children on day to day basis, like child center, schools, youth sport clubs and hospitals prefer candidates with the highest standards and clear past. Therefore, Polygraph tests may minimize the issue of public liability while increasing the reputation of those well recognised and respected professions.
Related Issues: Allegation of Domestic Sexual Harassment A disclosure of infidelity is a traumatic and painful experience for
both parties. However, the uncertainty created by the 'gut feeling' that
something is not quite the same as it used to be in a relationship, can
be even more painful than the knowledge of infidelity itself. The ever
present danger of Sexual Transmitted Diseases in today’s society
attaches another dimension to unfaithfulness, and places couples and individuals
under additional pressure.
Polygraph examination can help determine the fact(s) about a partners' extramarital relationships, contacts with "exes", as well as sexual activities over the Internet (visits to pornographic, chat and dating sites). Polygraph test for infidelity focuses on the single and most important issue, where questions are direct and explicit. The questions are specific, giving no opportunity for any altered interpretation by the examinee. Some examples of questions asked: "Did you have sexual intercourse with (name) on (date)?" Has your partner been emotionally, intimately and/or sexually distant
recently? The answers to these questions may indicate the possibility of an extramarital affair. However, only a polygraph examination can determine the truth about a partner' infidelity. Importantly, a Polygraph test is not only valuable for proving the existence of an extramarital affair. It can also be very useful in the treatment process by helping to break the cycle of denial. This can be the first step in repairing a relationship.
Related Issues: Intellectual Property Disputes, White Collar Crime, Fraud In a contemporary environment with highly developed global communication and information technology systems, the key question is no longer how data, ideas and news are delivered to customers, but how fast it is delivered. Using periodic or random polygraph tests on individuals responsible for the security of a company's critical information can strengthen the protection of intangible assets such as patents, copyrights and trade secrets. The commitment to protect privileged or classified knowledge is paramount, making the difference between profitability and stagnation. Companies all over the world spend millions on improving the security of trade secrets by building sophisticated security measures such are secure facilities, Internet protection, implementing the latest electronic surveillance/detection gadgetry and employing reliable security professionals. Yet the most valuable trade secrets are usually compromised due to insider thefts. As a result of growing competition between companies due to the lack of new markets, many companies are tempted to acquire profitable intellectual property by using industrial espionage, as an effective and profitable tool to gain quick profit while substantially reducing the cost of their own research and development programs. In such an environment, the corporate community is aware of the problems of intellectual property theft. Chief Executive Officers are facing shareholders pressure to protect as well as increase the profitability index of a company, while constant reductions in company expenditure are forcing many organizations to handle their research and development projects with minimum funding. Protecting a company's assets and their scientific and technological advancement from overaggressive industrial competitiveness is becoming an increasingly challenging task for any profitable company in the era of Globalisation. The ability of a company's management to further penetrate into lucrative markets diminishes if they are incapable of protecting their new ideas and products against the long lasting damages of industrial espionage. Polygraph testing can prove or disprove involvement in activities such as selling company secrets, obtaining profits by selling intellectual property such as projects, designs, ideas and software. Periodic polygraph testing or case-to-case examinations of potentially risky elements within a company departments (production, design, distribution, sales, logistics or management of projects) can prevent economic losses within the company caused by mismanagement and neglect of internal security or operational procedures.
Polygraph testing plays a significant role in personnel selection and the security clearance process in national security agencies, as well as private companies. A considerable portion of employees in government organizations and private enterprises may violate security procedures at some time in their careers through sloppy security practices. However, a large number of serious security violations remain undetected and therefore pose a great threat to an organisation. In the US for example, all employees of the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency must take and pass a Polygraph test to obtain and retain their security clearance. (Polygraph, Volume 33, Number 2, 2004) Polygraph interviews appears to be an integral and extremely beneficial part of security clearance procedures for civilian and military security and intelligence personnel since the days of the Cold War, especially in the USA. Fear of an increase in terrorism and espionage activities has led to a high degree of scepticism of the security agency's vetting procedures. According to the information available in the form of DoDPI's (Department of Defense Polygraph Institute) reports to the US Congress, 43648 counter-intelligence screening tests were administered within the US Department of Defense between 1995 and 2000. In those tests, 902 people made admissions relevant to security issues. (See http://intellit.muskingum.edu online for additional information on these and other spy cases) As a result of these screenings, individuals working for government agencies may have been deterred from engaging in espionage activity in the first place out of fear of being detected by periodic Polygraph security screenings. It should not be expected however that a Polygraph screening on its own will detect all subversive activities within an agency or organization. It is rather a unique and highly reliable tool in security screening whilst in the hands of trained investigators who can implement other security measures such as financial records analysis and background interviews to collectively provide an effective preventative application against those who threaten company and/or national security.
Testing and Monitoring Sex Offenders Related Issues: Allegations of Sexual Misconduct Post-conviction sexual offender polygraph exams could make a substantial contribution to managing the significant risk that sex offenders present to the public. Contrary to the public perception, most convicted sex offenders will be sentenced to probation, and most of those who receive prison sentence will return to the community on parole. Monitoring, supervision and treatment of the offenders must be therefore geared to promote internal controls and personal accountability by confronting the offender's denial, minimisation and secrecy, while expecting active and honest participation from the offender in his/her treatment. (Sydney Cooley-Towell) The fact is that sex offenders generally are not motivated to enter treatment or to reveal the depth of their deviant offending patterns. (Salter, 1988) Getting the information about the perpetrators' illegal behaviours, self-gratifying attitudes and deviant fantasies are crucial for an effective risk management to reduce opportunity to access potential or past victims by convicted sex offenders. The Polygraph test is a crucial component to the supervising authority, exposing deception and verifying the information the offender provides to the treatment provider and the probation authority. Valuable information extracted through the Polygraph test on the frequency of sexual crimes, the extent to which offenders abuse both males and females, and against different age groups can be instrumental in risk assessment, measuring progress in treatments and assessing compliance to condition of supervision. (Sydney-Towell, Eric J. Holden) The post-conviction polygraph examination of sex offenders applies polygraph technology and practice to the risk management issues that are raised when a convicted sex offender is in treatment and under community supervision. There are three types of post-conviction polygraph exams that can be administered to convicted sex offenders; a specific issue exam, the disclosure or sexual history exam and the periodic maintenance exam. Those types of exams are frequently conducted in at least 35 states in the USA (Simmons, 1998, Polygraph, 2000, 29 (1) ) within so called 'Containment Triangle' (Supervising Authority = correctional officers, Treatment Provider = psychologist, and Polygraph Examiner) in the rehabilitation program for sex offenders. A specific issue exam is used to address concerns regarding a specific incident or victim. For example it could be used with convicted offenders who are still in denial of the crime of conviction. By concentrating only on the "specific issue" of the crime, the examination compels the offender to admit his or hers behaviour regarding the committed crime. The offender cannot start an effective treatment without this admission. A Specific issue exam may be designed and used for other purposes as well as a specific allegation of victim contact or other high-risk behaviour. The disclosure or sex history exam is usually administered within three to twelve months after the offender has started treatment. It tests for the accuracy and completeness of the sexual history information the offender has prepared in treatment. Important for both treatment and case management reasons, this exam can pressure offenders into revealing previously unreported paraphilias that then can be addressed in treatment and supervision. The sexual history exam, in conjunction with treatment, may also clue the treatment provider and case manager into additional victims or interest otherwise unknown to the criminal justice system. Additional information revealed in the sexual history treatment and polygraph process also aids the supervising authority in tailoring probation conditions to the offender's risk areas, thereby minimizing the potential for future victimization. The periodic maintenance exam confirms or denies the offender's self-report about his or her current behaviour while under supervision. Mostly administered every six months (in many of the US states), it may be given more often if the offender is considered to be at an especially high risk to re-offend. This type of exam monitors compliance with supervision and treatment conditions and may indicate whether the perpetrator is re-offending, engaging in high-risk behaviour, or breaking the rules of supervision. These exams are particularly useful in the inquiry of modus operandi behaviours, such as stalking, using public transportation, visiting public swimming pools, or other activities used by the offender in the past to access victims. The highest priority of the polygraph testing of post-convicted sexual offenders lies in protecting the most vulnerable members of community from future crime. Standards for Post-Conviction Sex Offenders Testing (PCSOT) have been established by the American Polygraph Association, which requires the examiner to undergo special additional training and certification to provide this type of testing. Regular polygraph testing of sexual perpetrators could drastically reduce the possibility of them to re-offend and therefore minimize the suffering of innocent victims.
Hidden / Illegal Assets Allocation This type of Polygraph testing can assist private, as well as government investigators in their task, when the identification and type of hidden or illegal assets are unknown, and when the identification and type of hidden or illegal assets are suspected. The Polygraph examination for this type of investigation would help
identify assets hidden in real estate, equipment, personal property, investments
in companies or corporations, collectables, cash, safe deposit boxes,
gifts, money owned to subjects by others, or illegal, such as drugs, illegal
instruments not seized or identified and money laundering efforts, to
mention just a few.
Polygraph testing can assist in a variety of situations. A Polygraph test may be particularly beneficial in:
A deposit of $200 AUD is required to secure the arranged date/day for the test. To secure the booking, deposit payment can be made by money order, cash, bank cheque or credit card (MasterCard, Visa and Bankcard). The balance is to be paid on the day of testing. A 10% discount is applicable if two or more Polygraph Tests are booked
on the same day by an individual or an organisation.
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