I think the single biggest factor in the bad behavior of a few....rotten apples....is the lack of effective enforcement by FCC.
50+ years ago, when I got started, most of believed the FCC was carefully listening to the amateur bands, and that ANY infraction would bring down The Wrath Of The G-Men.
You could lose your license, have your equipment confiscated, have to pay a serious fine (up to $20,000, which inflates to about $200,000 today), even go to Federal prison.
We knew the FCC had state-of-the-art DF gear, and could track you down in minutes. They could record your signals for proof.
We all kept accurate logbooks, not just because it was required, but because we would know for sure when we were on the air in case there was any question.
Most of all, we knew the FCC would act swiftly and decisively, in days, not years. Lawyering up wouldn't help either.
All that changed during the CB craze and afterwards.