Anyone who says attitudes weren't different in the '70s wasn't paying attention or has forgotten. That doesn't necessarily excuse any given misdeed, but, as the man says, it may help explain it.

Example. Age 20 or so, I was sitting in the kitchen of a communal home with a small mixed group of slightly-older counter-culture-ish friends. One of the young women was telling us that a friend of hers, who was a high-school teacher, had spent the weekend in bed smoking dope with a couple of his female students. While no one expressed out-and-out approval, no one expressed disapproval - it was clearly regarded as 'edgy' behaviour, a case of getting one up on 'the man' by transgressing 'artificial' social taboos. There was a bit of chuckling and giggling.

There was a lot of that kind of thinking going on at that time. Again, not saying what it does or does not excuse; just giving a little context.