No Shame among Children?

WaPo runs a piece this morning about school suspensions. They're increasing, but some are questioning their effectiveness. It seems parents aren't taking much exception when their kids are suspended, and the students--shocker--don't feel any shame.

No parental punishment and no shame. Might the two be related? You punish someone when you think he's done wrong. You're ashamed when you're caught doing something wrong. When the sense of "right" and "wrong" is replaced by "situational ethics" and similar substitutes for morality, what do you expect? When your entire landscape breathes relativity--from your atheistic public schools, to your religiously-weak parents, to your entertainment--what do you expect?

Thing is, if not suspensions, what kind of punishment will you use? Punishment only works when the person being punished can understand that he did wrong.