“I feel like I’m at my wit’s end,” says a mother about her two kids on the A&E reality TV show “Beyond Scared Straight.” It’s a feeling many parents relate to before sending their kids to local “scared straight” programs.
...Dougherty County administers its own youth intervention program, which has been featured several times on the A&E show. Since its television debut, Hayes says the Sheriff's office has had an influx of calls from parents who want to sign up their kids for the program. He says he’s had kids come in from other counties and even from other states across the Southeast.
...Anthony Petrosino, senior researcher at WestEd, has done extensive research on scared straight programs and conducted meta-analysis studies looking at them. He said the message that these types of programs don’t work isn’t getting out to parents.
“We found that scared straight, on average, has a harmful impact,” Petrosino said. “There’s a disconnect between who’s getting the information and who isn’t.”
“The other thing is TV is powerful,” he said.
“Beyond Scared Straight” has had some of the highest ratings on the network and is now in its sixth season.
At ‘Wit’s End’: Scared Straight Programs Remain Popular Among Parents Despite Warnings
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