Nine in 10 Scouts favour pre-marital sex

London, Mar 18 : A new survey has found that nine out of 10 Scouts and Girl Guides are open to pre-marital sex, drugs and gay experiences.

Over 2,500 scouts aged 16 to 22, from European countries were quizzed by researchers as they attended a convention in Italy.

More than 80 per cent favoured drinking and almost 50 percent said they would smoke marijuana if offered.

In the survey, conducted by the Institute of the Innocents - a government-backed body, nine out of 10 Scouts and Guides favoured pre-marital sex, and almost 50 percent said they don't mind cheating on their partners.

"There was an open-mindedness about breaking the rules that is common among young people," The Telegraph quoted a spokesman for the Institute of the Innocents, as saying.

The survey also found that 50 percent respondents believed in God, 39 per cent said they had the right to an abortion if they needed one, and 91 per cent said they happily downloaded pirated material from the Internet.

"It is not that surprising really," said Chiara Sapigni, president of the Italian Scouting Association.

"Scouts are not a niche group, but they are children of our age, and they share the same slim respect for the rules that non Scouts have.

"When Scouts are together, they share a set of ethical rules. The problem is their everyday lives. At school and in their free time, they behave just like their friends, and not just sexually. A significant part has little confidence in politicians, and does not respect the rules of society," Sapigni added.

But Andrew Thorp, of the British Scouts Association, said: "We don't feel that this survey is representative of the Scout movement in general."

He also said that he did not believe the survey was carried out scientifically, despite it having the full support of all the major Italian Scouting organisations.

ANI