While online communities are like... the new social existence of many modern human beings, and societies and subsocieties matter hugely to the human psyche, I still wouldn't go as far as comparing 'a bunch of people made me feel bad online' to being held at knifepoint in real life.
I don't think the analogy fits, to be honest. The type of abuse they are trying to defend against is not the same as the type of abuse they are propagating. "Someone stalked me IRL" is not the same as "someone hurt my feelings on an internet forum", you know?
Also, if they generally keep the tribal behavior in their own community and don't go out attacking others, it's not as if they're breaking into their neighbor's home to hold their neighbor at knifepoint. It's more like there's a big sign on their own home warning: "You could be held at knifepoint if you step in here!".
The Hog Pit used to function as that sign on MSB, which is why a lot of calmer sorts of people keep (kept?) away.
I'm okay with accepting that people made fun of me on an internet forum (that I entered despite the big sign) because they are traumatized and deep down worried about being stalked in real life, and they're just strafing at any unknown possible-stalker figure. I actually feel sort of kindly towards them when I think about it that way.
Personally, I wouldn't operate that way myself, because again, I don't believe it is effective. But that is beside the point anyway. And I am thinking about efficacy from a position with very little trauma compared to many people, so it is natural that I would be thinking more logically and less emotionally -- and there is no proven science about this anyway, so it's possible I am not even correct.