We use user notes, and have a good sense of who the trouble makers are and why, but improving the behaviour of those members is the real challenge.
Perhaps improvement isn’t possible and we should just get tougher and move towards suspensions and bans.
One thing about keeping things too private is that other members don’t particularly see the hard work of the moderators, or bad behaviours being picked up. I think our mod team does a great job, and they are all volunteers. But much of the messaging and effort is ‘behind the scenes’ so can look like we don’t do enough.
Of course the other side of the coin is over-moderation…