We live in a society where the state has essentially appropriated the means of raising children.
Everything from what to eat, how to play, what to learn in school, and how to deal with your kids is essentially legislated in some fashion by the state. 
Kids have little concept of what respect means because most parents enable really bad behaviour.  A volatile mix of "progressive" parenting, the failed self-esteem movement and fear of repercussions from the state (parents get CAS called for neglect when their kids play outside alone - google it) make the essential component of discipline a risk. CAS has a draconian mandate whereby a mere complaint is sufficient to extricate someone from the family. Puff pieces such as these fallaciously link spanking to abject beating. The result: a complacent society raising kids in a vacuum, whereby parents are more likely to blame others for their children's shortcoming instead of looking in the mirror.