They make aluminum foil bags to prevent the scanners from reading the magnetic strips. The directions are all over the net. It also has to do with the fact that people do not go into business as babysitters, unless they open a day care center. If all the kids acted with reasonable maturity, it would be no problem, truth is, a lot of kids don't.
Extra security does not come free.
I love kids, and grandkids, but if any of mine acted like many I've had to deal with, I'd have chained them to a ring on the floor.
Good grief...I'm so far behind, I did not know aluminum foil was so handy.
But the loss they will feel from PO teens and parents who will now refuse to shop at the mall is probably going to be as much if not more than the shoplifting losses.
Also I don't see how having to go into a mall with your parent is going to stop shoplifting...if they are able to hide from security they can surely hide their thieving from distracted mom.