I have, though, seen my share of swaggering, arrogant kids who act as though they can get away with all manner of inappropriate behavior. Don't touch me. It's not all that common, thankfully. But incredibly frustrating nonetheless. Teachers and administrators had sure as heck better exercise self-discipline and restraint, even if the students don't, because when the investigations and litigation starts, you know who's at risk.
Every situation is different, every student is different.
But in general, I think teachers and administrators need to get back some of the leverage that they once had if we are going to be able to preserve the kind of environment necessary for schools to be effective.