How about a newcomer grid.

When a person wishes to join SL then they could be granted a choice, they could go into a separate grid as an unverified account and play with SL tools rezzing and making scripts, until they were checked out thoroughly and verified, and prove they could become a worthwhile member of SL.

However if they wished to join the main grid immediately they could buy their way in to a premium account and take up residence from day one.
The newcomers grid would be totally separate from the main grid and would have no way of crossing over, similar to the beta grid. It could be isolated electronically and software wise. They would be granted newcomer currency, worthless outside of SL main grid, and from there they could decide if they wished to join the main SL world.
They would be able to learn how SL works and it's customs and rules, while protecting the main grid from most of the griefers.

I have a feeling that taking the grid out has become a sport amongst young pre and teenage children. Like smashing glass in bustops and spraying graffitti onto buildings. If you take away the world they want to destroy out of malicious or mischevious feelings then they will go and cause grief to someone else, somewhere else, and most of the attacks will cease.

Femina Matahari

Great feedback Femina, this suggestion has been discussed here at Linden Lab in the past, a sort of "newcomer-land" where new Residents could test out Second Life without fully entering the world. Thanks for the comments!