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A code of silence is a condition in effect when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily.

The code of silence is usually followed because of threat of force or danger to oneself, or being branded as a traitor or an outcast within the unit or organization, as the experience of police whistleblower Frank Serpico illustrates. Police are known to have a well-developed blue wall of silence.

A more well-known example of the code of silence is omertà (Italian: omertà, from the Latin: humilitas=humility or modesty), the Mafia code of silence.

See also

• Blue wall of silence – Informal rule that American police do not report misconduct by other officers
• Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
• Omertà – Southern Italian code of honor and silence
• Stop Snitchin'
• Spotlight, a 2015 film that explores a communal code of silence that reigned during the Boston sex abuse scandal

References

• Bill Maxwell, Opinion Columnist "Code of silence corrodes morality, puts blacks at risk" (2010, July 23)
• Board, Editorial. "Judgment day for Chicago's police code of silence". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-12-02.

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