@Belter families are often defined by shared responsibility rather than blood alone.
Crews, work teams, neighbors, and long-term companions may be treated as family because survival depends on mutual trust. Children are frequently raised by extended households, especially on stations where adults work long or dangerous shifts.
Abandoning a dependent person is considered one of the most serious moral failures in many Belter communities. A person may be forgiven for theft, violence, or smuggling more readily than for leaving someone without air or assistance.
Community support is strong but rarely unconditional. Favors create obligations, and debts may be remembered for years. Belters often maintain complex informal networks of mutual aid, reputation, and personal loyalty.
Formal institutions may be weak, but social consequences are not. A person known for breaking contracts or endangering others can find every door on a station closed to them.