TRANSGANG white paper: gang policies and mediation in the context of overlapping crises

Ballesté, Eduard, 1988-; Boucherf, Kamel; Chévez, Candy; Grassi, Paolo; Lavielle, Ligia; Mansilla, Juan Camilo; Márquez, Fulvia; Mecca, Margot; Najar, Sihem; Oliver Torres, María; Omrane, Mustapha; Ross, William; Touhtouh, Rachid

doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.31009/cr.2023.03

TRANSGANG white paper: gang policies and mediation in the context of overlapping crises

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Feixa-Pàmpols C, Sánchez-García J, Brisley A, Hansen A, Ballesté E, Boucherf K, Chévez C, Grassi P, Lavielle L, Mansilla JC, Márquez F, Mecca M, Najar S, Oliver M, Omrane M, Ross W, Touhtouh R. TRANSGANG white paper: gang policies and mediation in the context of overlapping crises. Barcelona: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Departament de Comunicació; 2023. 128 p. DOI: 10.31009/cr.2023.03

Abstract

TRANSGANG is a study of transnational gangs as agents of mediation in the 21st century. It aims to respond to the persistence of youth street groups (the so-called 'gangs') and the social discourses that often represent them as “problematic”. We are interested in studying the 'transnationalization' process of these groups from two directions: 'from above' (imaginaries, symbols, criminal and police policies to deal with them) and 'from below' (imagined and practiced communities of mutual aid, through migratory processes and virtual interactions). This document explores public policies and gang prevention strategies as well as processes of community mediation and resistance in the twelve cities of the three TRANSGANG regions: Southern Europe (Barcelona, Madrid, Marseille, Milan), North Africa (Rabat-Salé, Algiers, Djendel, Tunis) and The Americas (Medellin, San Salvador, Santiago de Cuba, Chicago). The White Paper ends with a Decalogue about public policy recommendations on gangs and mediation based on the research outcomes.