They did lock them up for longer, and in fact, rape (particularly of a child) was a capital crime in the 1950s. So some of the creeps simply went bye-bye.
I grew up in the 1950s and 60s, and I knew you had to be careful - but at the same time, there were cetain standards and most people adhered to them. My kids grew up in the 70s and 80s, and they had to be more careful, but I tried not to be too paranoid. We lived in New York City (I had grown up there), which actually I believe to be a little safer than some suburbs and more remote areas.
That said, I have mixed feelings now. I think way too many parents are "smother mothers" or "helicopter parents," but at the same time I think things are more dangerous than they were were we were kids or when my children were small.
We need better judicial enforcement. A family member is a detective in a large city department, working in the child abuse area. She says the problem is that the police arrest the abusers very efficiently - and the judges let them go just as efficiently. The cops went to court and pleaded with a judge not to give a child back to the mother and boyfriend who were abusing him, but the judge did and two weeks later, the child was dead. Back in the 50s, that child would have been in an orphanage - and alive.
I guess the thing to do now is try to do more with your children, as much as you can. I took mine golfing, on the bike path, etc., after work and on weekends. I notice some parents around here try to do that, make things a family affair.
Too much tv and video games are not good for kids. They get a skewed view of the world from technology. They need to learn about the birds, trees, bees, rocks and flowers, the beautiful outdoors that nothing can simulate, not to mention fresh air is so good for you.
It bothers me that so many kids are growing up surrounded by plastic. I saw a schoolroom with all bright colors and plastic everywhere. I think mine was better with the wooden desks and mosaic fishpond in my kindergarten room (the latter is long gone).