Study Suggests 'Stop-and-Frisk' May Encourage Youth Crime

If you're going to be treated like a criminal anyway

Law enforcement reminders of the consequences of criminal behavior are supposed to curb illegal activity, but some of these intimidation strategies may be backfiring, especially among youth.

In the latest study of stop and frisk policies, in which law enforcement randomly stop individuals for questioning even if they aren't engaged in criminal activity, researchers found that those who were stopped were more likely than those who were not to engage in delinquent behavior later on.

The results, published in the journal Crime and Delinquency, are only the latest among a growing body of data suggesting that some juvenile justice tactics, including programs that rely on the "Scared Straight" harangues by prison inmates, boot camps and juvenile lockups could ultimately do more harm than good.