Table 4 Descriptive statistics of the GBLEMS and its association^ with race or ethnicity^○ (N = 218)

Overall Scale

3.36 (0.87)

3.64^2,3,4 (0.83)

3.00 (0.71)

2.97 (0.78)

2.71 (0.71)

3.44^2,3,4 (0.89)

 Mistrust subscale

3.31 (0.88)

3.60 (0.83)^2,3,4

2.96 (0.76)

2.88 (0.82)

2.69 (0.81)

3.41 (0.89)^2,3,5

 Disparities in treatment subscale

3.49 (1.03)

3.74 (1.01)^2,3,4

3.10 (0.87)

3.24 (0.96)

2.77 (0.93)

3.54 (1.07)⁵

Individual items

1. Law enforcement officers sometimes hide information from people who belong to your racial group

3.63 (1.26)

3.89^3,4 (1.14)

3.86^3,4 (0.97)

2.97 (1.30)

2.80 (1.48)

3.68³ (1.33)

*2. Law enforcement officers have the best interests of people of your racial group in mind

2.51 (1.10)

2.18 (1.00)

2.96¹ (1.07)

2.89¹ (1.07)

2.78 (1.20)

2.54 (1.11)

3. People of your racial group should not confide in law enforcement officers because it will be used against them

3.23 (1.19)

3.48^3,4 (1.20)

3.00 (1.05)

3.00 (1.18)

2.60 (1.17)

3.18 (1.18)

4. People of your racial group should be suspicious of information from law enforcement officers

3.18 (1.16)

3.52^2,3,4 (1.04)

2.79 (1.07)

2.76 (1.19)

2.50 (1.18)

3.20 (1.19)

5. People of your racial group cannot trust law enforcement officers

3.12 (1.14)

3.43^2,3 (1.07)

2.71 (1.18)

2.68 (1.13)

2.90 (0.88)

3.14 (1.15)

6. People of your racial group should be suspicious of the criminal justice system

3.53 (1.21)

3.78^2,3,4 (1.11)

3.21 (1.23)

2.95 (1.29)

3.00 (0.94)

3.78³ (1.21)

7. Law enforcement officers treat people of your racial group like “animals.”

3.21 (1.19)

3.53^2,3,4 (1.04)

2.67 (1.18)

2.70 (1.13)

2.40 (1.07)

3.43^2,3,4 (1.24)

*8. People of your racial group receive the same protection from law enforcement officers as people from other groups

2.58 (1.20)

2.21 (1.14)

3.11¹ (1.07)

2.95¹ (1.15)

3.20¹ (0.79)

2.57 (1.27)

9. Law enforcement officers do not take the complaints of people of your racial group seriously

3.27 (1.12)

3.59^2,3 (1.04)

2.82 (1.06)

2.73 (1.04)

2.90 (1.10)

3.39^2,3 (1.13)

*10. People of your racial group are treated the same as people of other groups by law enforcement officers

2.36 (1.13)

2.13 (1.06)

2.71¹ (1.18)

2.65¹ (1.09)

3.10^1,5 (1.20)

2.24 (1.13)

*11. In most courts, people of different racial groups receive the same kind of treatment from the judge

2.60 (1.20)

2.43 (1.20)

2.89 (1.17)

2.68 (1.11)

3.40¹ (1.17)

2.55 (1.26)

12. You have personally been treated poorly or unfairly by law enforcement officers because of your race

3.17 (1.30)

3.38^2,4 (1.23)

2.57 (1.17)

3.03⁴ (1.21)

2.00 (1.05)

3.45^2,4 (1.39)