For your second and third question, I was referring to my own personal experience.

I experience a lot of street harassment due to several factors. I've noticed over the years that street harassment escalates when the president is a known womanizer or "strong man" type vs a more urbane and sophisticated type.

This tracks the same with observable rises in racism when a known racist is in a position of power. It gives social permission for abusive behavior toward your fellow man when a known hater of whatever sort is in top positions of leadership. It actually mimics it exactly too.

The Clinton years were rough. But it was all smarmy, coercive shit then. With Trump, it's been aggressive and entitled, more threats of violence. With Biden, it's better but the "handy" stuff hasn't gone away because he has a reputation for that.

Television and movies play a role too, on both sides of the equation.

One time, I got harassed by this guy at a mall food court and I lit into him real good because it was a rare instance where you actually can. Most street or public harassment, you can't. Anyway, he apologized and then asked me out on a date and started demanding I give him my number. When I said no, he got shirty with me and went off, the crux of which was although he didn't like having to be a douche to get a girl's attention, that's the only way to guarantee attention long enough to be seen and now that he had apologized I was going off script by not immediately forgiving him and becoming amenable to his overtures so he could make it up to me.

You'll recall the general format of the vast majority of RomComs during the late 90s and aughties.

That applies to the refusal to accept a 'no'. Recall the general movie script interactions from the mid aughties till not too long ago. Maybe they still do this. I don't really like RomComs and would pretty much rather watch anything else. Anything. Paint drying or water boiling, for example.

But anyway, coming back to your original question, I'm speaking my myself and my personal observations. I haven't noticed a decline of harassment. I'm 52 now, so I'm supposed to be practically invisible. Still waiting.