How to handle repeat offenders — and how to rein in fellow moderators?

Question

Every community has them: the two or three users that every moderator knows. They constantly show up, cause a bit of trouble, and they bring rage to every moderator's head.

Often, the mere mention of these users is accompanied by calls for banning them already, and for much more severe punishments than other users would receive. Many times, these reactions occur even when the “repeat offender” has actually behaved relatively “normally” in this instance, but their name alone already caused violent flashbacks in the tormented moderators.

How can I calm down my fellow moderators and stop them from beheading relatively-innocent users? How can I prevent such repeat offenders from becoming a problem in the first place?

Answer 1

1. Offer to handle that user yourself
2. Work double-plus hard to create positive interaction
3. Point out the positive interactions to the other mods

Offer to Handle the User

If other mods can't keep a cool head when dealing with a user, do your best to keep them away from that user. If you are the one who can stay objective, then that means you should be the one who handles them. Just diplomatically tell the other mods when an issue comes up,

Hey Mod A, thanks for all your hard work in dealing with User X. I know he can be a handful at times. You deserve a break -- let me handle dealing with him so you don't have to stress about it. That okay with you?

Create Positive Interaction

As you rightly point out:

Many times, these reactions occur even when the "repeat offender" has actually behaved relatively "normal" in this instance, but their name alone already caused violent flashbacks in the tormented moderators.

Normal when viewed through the past negative interactions comes across as negative. You need to up the game of that user to have them surpass 'normal' and reach 'positive' levels. That means taking the time to figure out how to work with that user to round the sharper corners of their personality, and bring out the great parts that make this user worth keeping around. Start small, work with them, and just try to find a place that user can shine.

Share Those Positive Contributions

Once you have found the magical formula that works, share positive examples from that user with the other mods who had an issue in the past. When people see that it isn't all negative some (not all) of them may be willing to give them another chance. Every now and again just point out the change to your other mods:

I know you guys remember User X for some ... less-than-pleasant interactions, but take a look at this latest contribution -- it actually shows improvement!

The bigger the hole the user dug, the longer this process will take, but eventually patience and focusing on the positive should improve (if not completely repair) the problem that originally existed.

Answer 2

How can I prevent such repeat offenders from becoming a problem in the first place?

Early intervention. Instead of waiting for them to do something that would be a rule violation, step in and give them a warning as soon as you see any user starting to become a problem. This will allow them to change their behavior going forward, and thus preventing such situations from arising.

How can I calm down my fellow moderators and stop them from beheading relatively-innocent users?

This is a bit more tricky. However, the moderators should be in agreement on the plan of action. Perhaps more discussion is necessary. What rules were broken, if any? Did the user receive proper warnings? Find the cause for why the fellow moderators want to ban the user, and discuss as a team what action should come next. A lot of this will depend on your Code of Conduct or Guidelines.