Social adaptation of Latin American youth gangs in Spain: Gangs and street youth organisations

This article carries out a brief summary of the evolution of the phenomenon of what are known as "Latino gangs" in Spain since the late 1990s. The upsurge of these new street youth organisations is closely linked with the mass arrival of thousands of young Latin Americans in Spain during the past decade, and the consequent integration challenges that this has brought for both the welcoming society and for the young newcomers. In the sphere of public policy in Spain, there have been two main approaches to the phenomenon: one which is more oriented towards repression than prevention, and the other, known as the "Barcelona model", which has promoted a process of normalisation and integration of these groups into Spanish society. The second option makes it possible for different social actors to carry out coordinated actions, and may serve as a guideline for developing similar initiatives in different countries in Europe and Latin America.