r.e.s.p.e.c.t find out what it means to me

Respect...not something that seems to be a virtue in a lot of people nowadays. At least, not where I live and certainly not what I've seen lately. Reading another blog post tonight sparked this in me again. (I know, let it go)...
We live a couple of blocks from a park here. It's small and doesn't have much, but it sustains the kids attention, keeping them busy enough to get some energy out. It's a nice enough place to end a busy day when you're exhausted and don't want to go to the "fancy" park.

Well, the last time that we were at this park, someone [an older kid or teen if I had to guess] smeared blue squeeze pop gel candy all over the blue swings. It was fairly difficult to see it. Luckily, my daughter had seen it right away. Had she not said something, I probably would have plopped my son right up into the swing. So we simply scoffed about it and told them to play on the other equipment. Just as my son neared the top of the slide, I stopped him because, yep, it was all down the slides too! Why do kids/teens/adults get a rise out of this? Do they have nothing better to do than ruin some little childs day? Can't they find something productive to entertain themselves? I often wonder if their parents are around enough to teach them morals and values and respect. I commonly get told that I am too hard on my kids. Rarely do I have to discipline my kids. I'm by no means bragging. I agree that I am more strict than not. And this is an example why. My kids would NEVER get a kick out of doing something like that. At least, not for the time being. I'm sure that it could change as they get older. I try to teach them how to do things before something happens, not discipline them after.
So, what does respect mean to me? Certainly not any of the behavior mentioned above. I took an excerpt from an online dictionary...here are the best definitions that appealed to me.

*To show regard or consideration for: to respect someone's rights.

 

*To refrain from intruding upon or interfering with: to respect a person's privacy.