What defines a community guideline?

A community guideline is fundamentally a set of rules and expectations for behavior that governs how members of the community should interact with one another. These guidelines serve as a framework to create a safe and respectful environment, helping to maintain a positive atmosphere where all members feel valued and understood. By establishing clear behavioral expectations, community guidelines can help prevent misunderstandings and conflicts, promoting constructive communication and collaboration among members.

While the other options touch on various aspects important to community functioning—such as goals and objectives, events and activities, and roles of leaders—they do not encapsulate the essence of community guidelines as effectively as the definition focused on rules and expectations. Goals and objectives provide direction, events encourage engagement, and leader roles facilitate management, but it is the behavioral expectations that guide everyday interactions among members, thereby creating a cohesive community foundation.