Frankly, the role of any kind of authority figure (teacher, police office etc) has now been undermined by emphasis on rights rather then responsibility and a growing culture of parents seeking to 'look after their own' against anyone who would dare criticise a family member rather then try to instill good behaviour and a sense of right and wrong.
I'm sure we've seen the reaction of some parents to an acusation against a naughty child:
"I'm sorry to bother you, but your child just threw a stone through my window!"
"You WHAT!? How dare you suggest that!? What are you trying to say about my family!? You saying i'm an unfit mother....."
Focusing on the deterent for a crime cannot be the be all and end all here, the lack of fundamental respect for rules and guidelines in behaviour in the first place is the key issue. There needs to be a more cohesive front from parents and all other forms of authority towards children so that the boundaries of right/wrong cannot be blurred in the youngster as it grows up.... if a child does wrong it should know that there will be a punishment.