# Neighbourhood teenagers



## Rockpea (Sep 11, 2015)

Hi - we love our Spanish house to bits! It's in a very Spanish little village and it's just what we were hoping for. The only less than perfect thing is the fact that a group of local teenagers appear to regularly use some steps across from the back of our house, as their local hangout.

It doesn't bother us too much - we were young once (!) and they don't feel threatening at all. But I'm concerned that neighbours have mentioned that these kids can get a bit boisterous sometimes. 

My main concern is that any friends or family staying at our house would find these kids a bit worrying and it would spoil the nice quiet enjoyment of a holiday in Spain. Can anyone give any advice about how we could try and deter them from hanging out there? I don't want to stir up a situation, but would like to find a peaceful way of getting the point across! 

Thanks
Rp


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## Trubrit (Nov 24, 2010)

Spanish kids are generally not the thugs that you get back home and you did say that they didn't bother you too much, so my advice would be to let sleeping dogs lie or you may wake up a Rottweiler


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Make friends with them (and if possible with their parents too). If they start being a nuisance e.g. making a noise late at night it will then be easier to ask them to be quiet. 

If they are actually doing something illegal (!) I find pointing a camera at them usually scares them off.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

PS Forewarn your visitors that Spain is the second noisiest country in the world ....


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> Make friends with them (and if possible with their parents too). If they start being a nuisance e.g. making a noise late at night it will then be easier to ask them to be quiet.
> 
> If they are actually doing something illegal (!) I find pointing a camera at them usually scares them off.


Be very, very, very careful about that. 
In the event that even one of them is a minor you could find yourself in extremely hot water.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Relax, kids will be kids. I assume these kids are Spanish and they and their families have lived there for a long time, so from their perspective, they may not appreciate a "guiri" moving in and telling them what they can and cant do in their own village. You dont want to make the situation worse. I think if it were me, I'd try and make friends with them, accept that they are kids who "hang around" and stop worrying about what visitors may think. 

Jo xxx


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## Amilia Bargues (Oct 15, 2015)

Have you tried to speak with them? As already mentioned above, it`s the best way to solve this issue. And you can also understand are they aggressive or peaceful.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

elenetxu said:


> Be very, very, very careful about that.
> In the event that even one of them is a minor you could find yourself in extremely hot water.


If it stops them spraying graffiti or throwing stones at a cat I'll take that risk. They aren't exactly going to rush home and tell their parents.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

If the kids aren't doing anything other than hanging around, ie they're not vandalising property or causing a public nuisance, and they're not actually on your property, then I don't think there's really much you can do about it. 

For several years we put up with small children playing football outside our house, although the noise was a nuisance and it sometimes went on for hours. When they grew into teenagers, though, and the ball was being thumped against our walls with increasing force and often crashed into the front door making me fear the glass would smash, we felt enough was enough and they were old enough now to play further afield. We had a word with the parents of the ones who lived closest (kids would come from all around to play as it's one of the few wide flat areas in the barrio) and it stopped, has been blissfully peaceful ever since.

Once we had problems with the 3 teenage boys of a family who'd moved into the street. They were the only ones who've ever targeted us with anti-social behaviour. I went to their house and explained to the parents what was going on. Their mother rang them on a mobile and ordered them home immediately. When they got there she asked if what I'd said was true, and the middle boy ratted out his brothers and said yes. They got a clout round the head each and were ordered indoors, again we haven't had a minute's trouble from any of them ever since, and the eldest who was the worst has now got a family of his own.

If you really have cause for complaint then I have found Spanish parents very willing to listen and take action, but kids just hanging out in the street isn't likely to be regarded as a problem. Where I live, some families practically live their lives in the street and some foreign people find groups of young men standing around on street corners, with bottles of beer, intimidating. But the vibe is different here, walk through them and you'll just be greeted with a smile and "buenas noches".


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## Rockpea (Sep 11, 2015)

Thanks everyone - I do agree that kids will be kids! As I said, I remember being that age and also hanging around with friends at the 'local steps'. It wasn't that we were particularly bothered about it - and you're right, perhaps I shouldn't worry so much about what any guests think!

I've now received a copy of the latest Community Association AGM minutes, the kids are mentioned in them...some neighbours complained that they have had verbal abuse, minor vandalism (stones thrown at cars and buildings) and thefts of items from gardens. The minutes say that the Association has agreed to put security cameras up, so perhaps that will help.

I won't do anything that could stir things up, and as someone said above - perhaps I just need to remind any visitors before they head out that Spain is the second noisiest country! And that what makes our place such an ideal location (small traditional village) does bring its own set of 'situations'!!

Thanks again
Rp


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Rockpea said:


> Thanks everyone - I do agree that kids will be kids! As I said, I remember being that age and also hanging around with friends at the 'local steps'. It wasn't that we were particularly bothered about it - and you're right, perhaps I shouldn't worry so much about what any guests think!
> 
> I've now received a copy of the latest Community Association AGM minutes, the kids are mentioned in them...some neighbours complained that they have had verbal abuse, minor vandalism (stones thrown at cars and buildings) and thefts of items from gardens. The minutes say that the Association has agreed to put security cameras up, so perhaps that will help.
> 
> ...


I'm surprised the community assoc. hasn't just had a word with the parents! As the others have said, that usually works far more effectively than anything else.


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

It's the OAPs that cause the most noise here. There are a couple of benches near our house where they loiter and chinwag but because they're all deaf they have to shout at each other. Oh and there's an old lady with bronchial problems who coughs and spits a lot too.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> If it stops them spraying graffiti or throwing stones at a cat I'll take that risk. They aren't exactly going to rush home and tell their parents.


Personally I wouldn't do that. As elentxu says I think you might open up a whole can of worms there. They might very well* rush home and tell their parents* that someone (a foreigner) is taking photos of them.
I might make a point of getting my mobile out though and going through the pretence of making a call...


> *xabiachica* I'm surprised the community assoc. hasn't just had a word with the parents! As the others have said, that usually works far more effectively than anything else.


Maybe they don't come from the area where they hangout, although if the place is small enough someone somewhere probably knows their parents.
The age can be a factor in deciding what to do. The group that disturbs me on some nights is older (20+) and they don't make a great deal of noise, and they're not menacing but they're out there every single night. With everything open in the summer I can hear all their conversation and for the people who live nearer it's a pain in the neck. They leave their beer bottles and ciggie packets everywhere and they smoke and smoke :hippie:. I could talk to them, but they wouldn't take a blind bit of notice. If it got too bad the police could be called in, and I think they have been called on occasions because they do have cars and they are drinking and smoking. You could scout out another place for them to go and sugggest they go there rather than your place all the time


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> You could scout out another place for them to go and sugggest they go there rather than your place all the time


Outside the alcalde's house is a good idea.


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## Rockpea (Sep 11, 2015)

Haha I had to look up what alcalde was!!


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