Definitions

“Healthy Community”—What is it? How do we create it? What can tenants do? What can the housing authority do? Should everyone work together?

“Peaceful enjoyment” —every tenant has the right to enjoy the use of their home and common spaces without interference. The landlord (housing authority) is legally responsible for assuring the peaceful enjoyment of all tenants.

“Hostile environment harassment”—is unwelcome conduct creating a situation that makes it difficult or impossible for victims to have the peaceful enjoyment of their residency.

“Bullying”—Bullying uses any mode of communication to hurt and demean the target or victim. It is aggression and an effort to control that is used to make the target do, or not do, the bidding of the perpetrator.

An individual or group can mobilize members of the community to use gossip, social pressures, and isolation as part of a bullying effort.

Bullying harms and controls the victim and takes away their rights—their dignity—their self respect—their health—and their well being. Bullying takes away the right of peaceful enjoyment.

“Mobbing”—consists of a group or community harassing and bullying a victim, including in order to get rid of them. In housing, mobbing can be initiated, condoned, or supported by those in charge.

Mobbing or group bullying consists of members of a group working together to bully their target(s). The concept of "mobbing" developed in the study of birds and other animals, and describes cooperative and aggressive behavior against a real or perceived threat. Thus, a flock of crows will attack and harass a hawk, forcing it away.

"Institutional bullying," i.e., where the landlord and management ignore, condone, and do not seek to prevent bullying by staff and tenants;

"Institutional mobbing" where the landlord and management may even encourage individuals and groups who bully in ways that supports management.

“Toxic Community”—Bullying spreads like the flu and harms everyone in housing, including management, staff and landlord, not just the tenants.

“Guardians” are a group of tenants who appoint themselves as the “rightful” controllers of social life and use bullying and harassing to exclude others from their peaceful enjoyment, leading to mobbing and even to eviction.