Scouts and Guides’ Experience of Coeducation to Prevent Violence and Build Positive Gender Relations

The aim of this paper is to address the issue of coeducation in the scouting experience, proposed by Agesci (Italian Catholic Association of Scouts and Guides). Agesci was born in 1974, from the merging of the Italian Catholic Scouts Association (Asci) and the Italian Guides Association (Agi). Coeducation is not a simple coexistence of the two sexes under the banner of promiscuity, nor it is simply co-presence. In Agesci, the intuition behind the choice of coeducation stems from the conviction that it is possible for boys and girls to grow up together, living together an educational plan beyond any pre-established roles. The aim is to help boys and girls mature in their relationship with themselves and others through the Scout method.