Richmond’s historic redlining practices continue to shape the city’s risk of youth violence, according to new research from Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia State University. 

The study found that neighborhoods once labeled “undesirable” for mortgage lending in the 1930s account for the majority of today’s youth violence hotspots in the city. Researchers also found that most victims treated at VCU Health’s trauma center were female, a trend that contrasts with typical discussions of youth violence. 

“What we’re seeing now is this pattern in present-day Richmond, nearly a century after redlining began, where adolescent youth that live in these communities are still at this tremendously elevated risk of incurring violent injuries and experiencing violence in their community,” said Samuel West, Ph.D., an assistant professor at VSU and an affiliate faculty member in the VCU Health trauma center’s Injury and Violence Prevention Program. 

Redlining began in 1934, when the Home Owners’ Loan Corp. and the Federal Housing Administration created maps labeling neighborhoods with low lending risk as “desirable” and high-risk areas as “undesirable.” Minority neighborhoods, often outlined in red, were denied loans or offered unfavorable terms, while white neighborhoods received preferential treatment. Although redlining officially ended with the Fair Housing Act of 1968, studies show its legacy persists, affecting residents’ health, wealth and life expectancy. 

“The effect of redlining on violence has never been tested in the city of Richmond,” West said. “And it’s important to find the effects here in Richmond, since it has quite the history of being the epicenter of racist policy, the center of the slave trade and the capital of the Confederacy.” 

The study analyzed data from 261 patients, ages 10- 24, treated for violent injuries at VCU Health’s Level 1 trauma center in 2022 and 2023. Patients were victims of intentional injuries, including assaults and abuse. The data, collected by VCU’s Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development, covered 148 Richmond neighborhoods. 

Of the patients, 62% identified as Black, 17% as white and 18% as mixed race or other; 13% identified as Hispanic or Latino, and 72% were covered by Medicaid. About 70% of the victims were female, and 25% were victims of child abuse, including sexual abuse. Less than 2% of injuries were firearm-related. 

“People may be surprised by the large proportion of females injured by violence, as most studies, especially those focusing on firearms, report males as the majority of victims,” said Nicholas Thomson, Ph.D., a forensic psychologist at the VCU School of Medicine. “However, when we look at all violent injuries, a different picture emerges. In our study, about 70% of those injured were women and girls. This shows the need for prevention strategies that build community resilience to protect women and girls, especially in neighborhoods with higher risk and fewer resources.” 

Researchers found that 86% of violence hotspots were in formerly redlined neighborhoods, which include modern public housing and historic communities. Carytown was one exception, with low rates of youth violent injuries. Some areas south of the James River were never graded by the Home Owners’ Loan Corp. 

“The link between historic neighborhood redlining and current violence risk might seem expected, but it is important to test this expectation with data,” Thomson said. “Data-driven evidence helps separate fact from assumption and gives policymakers reliable information to guide solutions.” 

The researchers emphasized the need for prevention strategies that address long-term structural inequities. 

Policies that may be unjust or even discriminatory reach far into the future in terms of their impact, West said. “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes,” he added.