When I probed deeper, without fail they made it clear that they were talking about a time when there was more use of corporal punishment in school, and thus more fear of physical pain for disobedience. There is a danger in mislabeling fear as respect. To use an analogy, consider what would happen if two jars in the medicine cabinet were mislabeled. Respect is nurturing. Fear destroys self-confidence.
Respect builds it.
Fear is life-threatening. Respect is life-enhancing. Fear is forced. Respect is earned. To confuse the two creates serious problems for society.