I have never seen any evidence that children are at greater risk of abduction, rape and murder now than in the 30s or 50s.
Perfectly willing to revise my opinion if such evidence is provided.
There are just as many perverts today as there were back in the day. I was born in the 40’s and therefore a child of the 50’s, so to speak. We, as children, ran wild on the streets and enjoyed the parks until late at night and I was never accosted or subject to any form of perversion. I once asked my father in later years, why this was so, considering that it seemed to be so prevalent today.
His reply: Back in the day any pervert would be hunted down and dealt with by all the fathers in the neighborhood and they knew it. Now days, perverts know that they will get a few years in jail and be released ( and parents are afraid to take the law into their own hands) ... no incentive to confine themselves to thoughts and kiddy magazines.
We just hear about it more quickly now, in the age of TV and the Internet.