This is done in two ways: by reporting on new material on European street gangs gathered since 1992 and by describing and applying new information on the structure of American street gangs. The emphasis throughout is on "street gangs," a term which is used to indicate a "group-accepted and acknowledged orientation toward antisocial or criminal activities." Following an overview of gangs in Europe in 1992, new data on street gang structures in the United States are discussed. Five types of street gangs in Europe in 1992 are then identified and described. Profiles of European gangs beyond 1992 focus on the countries of Belgium, England, Sweden, Holland, and Germany. The author concludes that Europe is not overrun with street gangs; however, it does have a number of cities for which street gangs are a problem. He recommends that strategies for addressing gangs be based in empirical research. Toward that end, he suggests that a research program be mounted on the etiology, epidemiology, and structures of gangs in Europe. Social and enforcement programs must be sensitive to ethnic differences and acknowledge that street gangs comprise a variety of structures. American gang policies are still based on a gross, generalized, and usually erroneous conception. European research could help to prevent a repeat of U.S. failures to deal effectively with gangs. 19 references