A 22 won’t penetrate very far...about 5-10 inches, which is well under most handgun ammo.
http://www.brassfetcher.com/index_files/22LR.htm
But an 8 shot revolver or 10-shot semi-auto can make 8-10 holes in pretty short order, and do so accurately. A Ruger 10/22 is light, easy to learn & shoot, and would make lots of 5-10” holes.
Missing with a 357 doesn’t do any good, so it depends on how much a person is willing to practice and what they feel comfortable shooting. I’ve never met a person who wasn’t comfortable shooting a 22...met lots who sucked with a 45 or 357.
Perhaps not, but they will see the light, feel the heat and hear the thunder and maybe decide to go else where.
A 357 puts on a very impressive display when fired, even more so if fired indoors.