Children were being sexually abused with impunity in the mid-20th century because of social norms and the "invisibility" of the issue, an inquiry into child sexual abuse in schools has been told.
An independent board of inquiry is investigating historical child sexual abuse at 23 public primary schools following allegations surrounding Beaumaris Primary School in Melbourne in the 1960s and 1970s.
A former student at the school, referred to by the pseudonym "Bernard", said in a statement to the inquiry he was initially happy to be in alleged perpetrator Grahame Steele's class as a child.
With Mr Steele as the sport teacher, it seemed like the best opportunity to get access to coaching and teams - but then the teacher allegedly abused him three times that year.
Years later, Bernard ran into another student who said they and others would threaten to disclose what was going on between teachers and students when they were sent to the principal's office.
"I do not recall telling anyone about the abuse at the time and I do not remember anyone talking about those sorts of things while I was at school," Bernard said.
"I think at least some staff at Beaumaris Primary School knew about what was happening, knew that teachers were abusing students, and did nothing."
The inquiry on Tuesday delved into the attitudes and norms at the time and how that intersected with issues, including child sexual abuse.
The patriarchal culture in the 1950s and 1960s was illustrated by the value placed on the traditional nuclear family and the role played by Christianity, Professor Leah Bromfield told the inquiry.
A commissioner on Tasmania's commission of inquiry into child sexual abuse in state government institutions, Dr Bromfield said there were very gendered roles and children fitted within that society behind the women.
"Child sexual abuse remained invisible, children were not being heard, not being believed and being silenced and perpetrators being able to perpetrate with impunity," she said.
It wasn't until the 1970s with the rise of the feminist movement the focus on the physical abuse of children began gaining prominence, Katie Wright, an associate professor of sociology at LaTrobe University, told the inquiry.
But perpetrators were still able to hide behind trusted and highly regarded institutions which impacted the ability for children to speak out and adults to question what was happening.
"There was a certain reticence for people to challenge institutions in a way that is more common now," Dr Wright said.
Dr Bromfield said the authority of the institution was not questioned and no one considered any risk of a teacher being alone with a child.
Victoria's first official record of child sexual abuse in 1975 illustrated the "invisibility" of the issue, she said.
The independent board will establish an official record of the victims and examine abuse by staff members from the 1960s to the end of 1999 and the response from the education department.
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National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
