Were the 1970s the perviest decade?

[tinymeteor]

I hadn't heard of photographer David Hamilton before reading of his suicide today in the face of rape allegations from former child models.

But having googled a small sample of his work, what the fuck? Middle aged man makes a name by approaching random blonde children on the beach and asking to photograph them. His signature style makes liberal use of soft focus, pouting prepubescent girls and sexualised poses if not outright nudity. It's the male gaze taken to extremes. How was this ever considered anything other than pervy?

Was there something about the 1970s that made it a high point for this kind of predator, or are we just hearing about it now because their victims are old enough to cope with talking about it?

I think kids grow up in different ways now compared to in the 70s. They have things like phones at a very young age, and can access online the sort of hard core porn we would have had to go to a specialist shop to procure. But we are much more aware of the sexualisation of children now, and - as said upthread - sex with underage children is no longer deemed acceptable.

Why do people think child sexual abuse is a thing of the past? I in 4 girls experience child sexual abuse NOW.

I was sexually abused in the seventies by a family member. It wasn't 'acceptable' then, no more so than it is now. Certainly not to me. And yet females, no matter how young are never off limits- not then and not now.

What was better about the 70s than now, IMO, was that you weren't expected to grow up too fast

That's not entirely true. In some ways some teenagers had to grow up far more quickly.

The school leaving age in Scotland was only raised to 16 in 1973. I was at a large rural comprehensive. I recall people leaving at 15 to start work. I would guess around 5% of each year went to university ( and that is not because it was a deprived area, far from it, just very few people did). If you weren't in that select little group the expectation was you joined the adult world in your teens and just got on with work and earning a living. Girls got pregnant and married at 16,17 and young couples were expected to cope as adults.

I think lots of men have/want to have sex with very young girls. The 'school girl' is still a pornographic meme today.

oystir59 Thu 01-Dec-16 22:02:20
Why do people think child sexual abuse is a thing of the past?

The point being made is that some older men would have sex, that they considered to be 'consensual', with underage teenagers without worrying about it at all and the girls thought they had consented. Lots of people were brainwashed by the sexual revolution idea that all sex was good too.

The 70s groupie scene was well known about in the 70s.

Nils Lofgren, who is now Bruce Springsteen's guitarist, but was then a solo artist, released an album called Cry Tough in 1976. It included a song called Jailbait with the line "the law says she's 14, she looks 23". No one was fussed.

Joy, I'm sorry that happened to you.

Is it really 1 in 4 girls abused as children? I have heard the stat that 1 in 4 women are raped in their lifetimes, that's so sad if it's girls too.

Olennas your post made me think of a few singers at the moment who are marketed are purposely made to look and behave like under 16. I can think of four from the top of my head.
There is boundaries now about marketing under 16 but the adults over 18 who look like children are fair game. They are marketed in this way to please those particular type of men who like the younger looking girls and to also sell to the younger market.

Before this thread, I had always thought it was for the younger fans. However, they are all sexualised. Being a little kitten isn't for a 13 year old.

I've recently been thinking with some sadness about all the post 70s feminist re- reading of 20th century children's books, and all the hand wringing about the genderised roles.

Yes, it was always the girls who were worrying about wet socks or what they were all going to have for tea, bit at least washing clothes and cooking are valuable life skills, which taking selfies and wondering whether you're going to be famous aren't.

The real taboo is men not admitting that they want to or actually do sexually abuse female children and women, usually girls and women they are related to or know very well. I mean to say that sexual abuse is so common that many many men are doing it, or thinking about doing it. Many many men rape. Lots of men pay for sex and do not even care if they are buying it from someone very young who has been coerced into prostitution: nordicmodelnow.org/ So I have a question to all men- why are you talking amongst yourselves about your problem? Why don't you do something about it?

And before you say men and boys are sexually abused too, just let me point out that this is OVERWHELMINGLY as male problem. In a government overview of sexual offending in England, written in 2013. 100% of all reported sexual offences were perpetrated by men.

I posted before ready, sorry. My question to men should read- why aren't you owning and talking about YOUR problem? I have spent my entire life since the age of 13 having to do a risk assessment on where and when I'm travelling around this world, because men cannot leave girls and women alone to move around in peace. I do not know a SINGLE adult female who has experienced some form of sexual harassment or abuse. Why do you do it?

Joystir I am extremely sorry that you were abused too.