Don't know if it was just the constant barrage of insults as a cumulative effect or if they happened to hit your personal button, but I'm sorry that you went through it. I'm glad though that you can see what it is like to be on the receiving end of it. For some of us its a decision to just not go through the world treating people like that.
How to deal with it is the question that is most difficult and varied answers. The reason that the answer usually is mute, or don't participate, walk away.....etc, is because there is no logical thinking in the equation. The best we can come up with is to not escalate, by adding more fuel to the harassment. The next best thing we can come up with is punishment. Neither seems adequate sadly.
Some people don't address this aspect of human activity until they have children of their own. It is only at that point that they can truly see the pain that is inflicted, some go through their own history and actually revisit and feel the pain and emotional distress that it causes.
Whether you can see it or not, there is a sort of self karma for people who are crappy to others. You don't have to get even, life will even it out, you may not be privy to the solution and its not always bad even though you may want it to be, the reason being that kindness is often what finally gets through to them. What is really important is that change happens for them.
I believe this to be true........when you are causing pain to others you will also be causing pain to yourself. Most people will live in fear that others are like the worst parts of them and act accordingly without realizing when you send it out it comes back to you.
You actually need the angry part of yourself to come to action when you are in a life threatening situation, but YOU need to be in control of when you let it out.
You may or may not be punished, you already know that, but please do continue to work on your own decisions of how and when to let the beast out. As you can see from what happened to you, its not a good thing to be pushing people's buttons, triggering off their emotional disturbances.
You made a mistake, everyone makes them in varying degrees and consequence, please continue on with your changes. Maybe this will help, you said " I've tried to change my behavior in-game and it's gone pretty well for the most part" :-) Congrats, do you like the new you? Do you like yourself being a better person? The high road is never easy, but it can be very rewarding. Like I said, what you send out comes back to you. Good Luck.
