In person if someone is too over the top obnoxious they might well walk away with a black eye.  Online people can abuse with impunity.  Free from the risk of being punched some people reach hereto unseen levels of obnoxiousness.  In such cases further responding just provides them with more opportunity to misbehave.  The response they need is a good old stab in the face.

Unfortunately, no one has developed the technology to allow you to stab someone in the face over the internet.

Yet.

Has there been any discussion around having a negative merit thing?  Like something that costs 100 merit to deliver 1 stab or something.   Obviously there are tools like the trust system, but the focus of the trust system is on fraud or at least trust worthy behavior.  Someone can be not untrustworthy but still be deserving of a swift kick in the groin.