Investigating Firearm Robbery from an Intersectionality Perspective: Firearm Robbery as an Intersectionality Paradox

• In Event: Neighborhoods and Gun Violence

Abstract

There is scant research investigating firearm robbery from an intersectionality perspective. Past intersectional studies have demonstrated that neighborhoods that experience the most structural racism have the highest firearm violence rates. In this study, we investigated whether this trend holds for firearm robbery. We performed an ecological study of 149 census tracts in Baltimore, Maryland, from 2015-2019. To describe a neighborhood’s trajectory of structural racism over time, we utilized two indicators: historical redlining and contemporary racialized economic segregation. Cross-classification of these indicators generated four intersectional groups. We aggregated firearm robberies to the tract-level. We conducted a quasi-Poisson spatial regression to determine associations between our intersectional groups and tract-level firearm robberies. In our model, we controlled for population density and residual spatial autocorrelation. Contemporary advantaged tracts—tracts that were historically redlined and experienced low contemporary racialized economic segregation— had a 47% higher risk of firearm robberies (IRR= 1.47; 95% CI: (1.11, 1.97); p = 0.01) compared to sustained advantaged tracts—tracts that were not historically redlined and experienced low contemporary segregation. Firearm robbery presents an intersectionality paradox as the contemporary advantaged tracts have the highest rates of firearm robberies. Our findings suggest that more research is needed to understand what factors drive this intersectionality paradox.

Authors

• Mudia Uzzi, Johns Hopkins University

• Kalice Allen, Health Alliance For Violence Intervention: The HAVI

• Danielle German, Johns Hopkins University

• Graham Mooney, Johns Hopkins University

• Sabriya Linton, Johns Hopkins University

• Daniel Webster, Johns Hopkins University

• Carl Latkin, Johns Hopkins University

• Cassandra K. Crifasi, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health