How does riot go about banning and punishing people? Do they get actual human beings to check the reports to make sure its legit and just not some angry troll? Or is it computer based run that checks for certain words? And even if it is humans that check, do they take in to consideration if someone is just trying to defend themselves? And if you're not toxic when you defend yourself is that still reportable?
Retaliation is out of the question in riots eyes. Only your actions are reviewed and not what caused it. Most reviews are automated but some are checked by humans to keep it in order and tune it. http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/player-behavior-moderation/tvviuURj-multiple-reports-and-other-misconceptions
The systems are automated, with occasional manual audits to ensure it's still working properly. But they're more sophisticated than simply looking for some keywords or phrases to trigger the bans. I've seen cases where somebody thought this was the case, so they were very creative and cautious in their wording, but ultimately they were still harassing other players and did get caught and punished for it. So it's definitely more advanced than a simple "ctrl+f <insert phrase>" search.
As far as self-defense goes, it's a touchy thing. True self-defense is generally okay. However, most people who claim self-defense here are actually counter-attacking, which is not okay.
Frustration is allowed. Retaliation is not. Anyone who has played this game has been frustrated, taunted, and trolled against. Most people do not respond back to toxicity with toxicity of their own.
I would say the best defense when dealing with toxic players is ignore them. Attention is what they want. Answering the back - even if you're not being toxic - still gives them what they want.
Instead, I prefer to let toxic players just whine in the corner and have their temper tantrums in game. Then I report them afterwards.
