Finally its over for now, Well as the poly was finished the polygrapher stated that i only had a reaction on that of theft from former employers, he told me that he could disqualify me just for that one question but that the rest looked good. He told me to give him an explanation why the reaction? so i stated that about my old job and thing that people let me hold and have never returned. He concluded that he would over look it and  decide. CAn u guys give me an opinion.

Batman wrote on Jan 29^th, 2003 at 9:42pm:


Kage,
Don't worry about what Batman thinks -- he lost his parents at a young age, and has blamed people who fail polygraphs ever since

Skeptic

Hello Board. This is my first post on this website and needless to say I have been DUPED!!! I took a polygraph last week as a part of the selection process for a major law enforcement agency. I am the type of person that is just TOO HONEST! Its hard for me to lie. I have never committed any major crimes against anyone and the worst thing I have ever done was get a speeding ticket. I spent about 2 hours with my examiner as a part of a pre-test interview. He asked me the general questions and I was fine. As soon as he hooked me up to the machine my heart started to race. At the end of the test he looked at me sternly and said, "Something is bothering you and you know what it is" I explained what it was and it happened years ago. He told me that was fine and that we will take the test again. Well, I got a reaction the second time. He told me that I was still withholding info and that I tell him the truth or I automatically get disqualified. I broke down in tears and told him everything. What I did was not a "crime" per se, it was in his eyes, but to me it was a situation that I let get out of control and it was a misunderstanding of sorts. He told me he will think about it and get back to me. Now, I am really afraid I might get disqualified and that this could hurt me trying to get into other law enforcement agencies. I  been in mental anguish for the past several days. I am really hurting inside and I have gone into a slight depression. I have several people gunning for me and I am a major pillar in the community and people see me as a positive role model. Now, I feel like a criminal and all I want to do is hide. I have told no one the truth regarding the results of the polygraph cause it could totally ruin my life. HELP!! Should I be worried? What should I do? How do I cope? Thanks for letting me vent!! I really hate the polygraph!!! It gives decent law-abiding citizens a bad name!!

SecretAgent

secretagent wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2003 at 10:57am:


Dear Secret Agent:
What you seem to be suffering from is the typical symptoms of the mental rape done by the voodoo of polygraph.  For each person the experience of going into the box is different.  For those who honestly go into an exam and come out DI or Inconclusive, the trauma is extreme and lingers for a long period of time.    
The poly exams are merely a ruse used to manipulate someone into an interrogation without the benefit of legal protection. Most attorneys would stop such an interrogation before the stem test was concluded, and I assure you, poly examiners adjust their fierceness and their level of deceit much more when observed by a subject's attorney.
The advise George gave you is an excellent place to start.  When you arm yourself with knowledge, you will be in a better position to cope with this outrageous and viscious assault that you have endured.
I do not know what you admitted to, and it may very well be something that will completely disqualify you from joining any law enforcement agency.  That is something that you will have to resolve within yourself.  I wish you the very best.
Regards,
Seeker

OK Gents,

Please help me out here.  We have an examinee, secretagent, who took a polygraph examination for employment with a law enforcement agency.  He initially states he, "never committed any major crimes against anyone and the worst thing I have ever done was get a speeding ticket."  (How about not so major crimes?)  However he has some trouble on the polygraph, the examiner calls him on it and he immediately aknowledges what the issue was stating, "I explained what it was and it happened years ago."  He continues to have problems with the polygraph and now states, "What I did was not a "crime" per se, it was in his eyes, but to me it was a situation that I let get out of control and it was a misunderstanding of sorts."

First question one has to ask is who is secretagent referring to when he says, "...it was in HIS eyes..."?  Who is "his"?

So it wasn't a "crime" per se.  Then what was it?  It was a "situation".  It was a situation that "got out of control."  It was a situation that got out of control, "and was a misunderstanding of sorts."   

Sounds like our "victim" maybe did something that someone else maybe thought was a crime.  But in reality, we know who is to blame.  As always, the polygraph examiner, the "mental rapist". 

Lets remember, secretagent, in his own words is very capable of lieing, it's just "hard for me to lie" to put it in his words.

To answer your question secretagent, yes, you should be worried.  Worried in that you lied during your application process.  If you thought your past "situation" was just a misunderstanding why didn't you bring it up before you sat down to take the polygraph exam?  You weren't "duped", and you weren't "too honest".  You most likely were given the opportunity to bring up your past "situation", but you chose not to.  You gambled and lost.

You mention that, "I have told no one the truth regarding the results of the polygraph...".  So you just keep on lieing.  Sounds like lieing isn't so hard for you after all.

George, Seeker, Marty, why can't you simply look at some of these posts and acknowledge that not all these folks are innocent victims?  This guy knew full well what he was doing and now he's paying the price.  He has no one to blame but himself.

Batman

Marty wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2003 at 7:33pm:

Marty:
While I agree that Secretagent's account of his situation does smack of being busted in an interrogation, it is the method by which his admission was gained that I consider the rapist.  The whole set up of a polygraph exam is just in fact that, and when someone naively enters into an exam, this does in fact have a great potential to occur.  I do not pretend to suggest that he is a false positive, and if I conveyed that, I was indeed not being clear as to my opinion.  His explanation of his feelings and of his reactions are atypical of what a rape victim would say of his or her feelings and reactions.  This was the note that I found interesting and intended to comment on. 
Do you consider my interpretation wrong, Marty, if I suggest that the polygraph exam, as it is used by law enforcement for screening purposes. has a much further reaching latitude than any type of interview for a job ever legitimately could have in our society? I have never heard of an applicant going through the mental or emotional disruption described by Secretagent wherein a polygraph was NOT used.   
Further, the end of my post says:
I do not know what you admitted to, and it may very well be something that will completely disqualify you from joining any law enforcement agency.  That is something that you will have to resolve within yourself.  
I believe that Secretagent does have an issue here with his admission, but I also firmly hold that the polygraph exam experience did in fact subject him to a mental rape.  Or, would you gentlemen prefer to use the mentality of many and suggest that a rape victim asked for it because of the way he or she was dressed?  My issue is with the process, the application of polygraph screening.  I am indeed sympathetic to Secretagent for his very real feelings and reactions.  I, however, do believe that being less than completely forthcoming was part and party to his demise with regard to his application.  The suggested reading of The Lie Behind The Lie Detector is an excellent tool to help victims of this type of abuse to cope and deal with the ramifications that they are left with.  I certainly didn't see anyone chime in and suggest that he had some protest that needed to be made for his innocence, or that he had a false positive.
And, Caped Wonder Batman, check again for the facts, Sir.  I am NOT a GENT.  I am amused that you failed to see that with those X-Ray vision glasses that you use on everyone else in here.  
Regards,
Seeker

Seeker wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2003 at 12:39am:

Dear Seeker,

I read this post earlier and did not quite know how to interpret it.  I do not know what exactly he is worrying about coming to the surface.  Whatever it was (or is), it certainly concerns him that he does not want to let it become public.

I do not believe in using the polygraph as a prescreening tool.

I also believe that an applicant has the obligation to be completely honest in their application for exactly the arguments presented in this posting. 

Should someone place this information which he holds in secret in a public newspaper or threaten the applicate to do so in the future, his career could be compromised.  If his current agency already knows all the facts concerning the issue, it can not at least be used for career blackmail.

Criminals hold "levers" more valuable than gold.  A "lever" in law enforcement is factual proof or hidden knowledge that a law enforcement officer violated policy or law.  The criminal baits the law enforcement officer with silence "if only" he performs further acts (normally increasing in severity) until the officer cannot stop without losing his career, family, or life.

Take the polygraph out of this picture.  I have people stressing, testing, and goading me almost everyday. While my polygraph was stressful because I was falsely accused, it certainly was not at all stressful compared to what I have been through in life.  If I cannot handle a person yelling at me, cursing at me, and treating me with no repect, than I cannot be a law enforcement officer.   People do treat us this way and we have to remain calm as best we can.  The last thing I can afford to deal with are hidden ghost.  This applicant still has a ghost which should be dealt with regardless of the polygraph, application process, or interrogation process.  If he does not want his employer to know about it, imagine if his enemies get hold of it.

I do not stand in judgement of this person.  I will say that if I could not handle a "hard grilling" by an interrogator than I probably could not handle my job.

Regards.

Quote:


Yes, you are quite right about that.  However, you were accused by members of LE by a process publicly touted to be near infallible and that does hurt. It is obvious by your actions. Those same actions show you are dealing with it in a very professional,  even admirable way. I suggest you are fairly rare amongst false positives many of whom feel shamed and hide not telling anyone. Many rape victims react the same way - sometimes even blaming themselves and become double victims.

-Marty