Learning to relate to others begins at birth and carries forward to new relationships, which is why child maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence have emerged as powerful risk factors for future coercive and hostile relationship patterns. Although not inevitable, it is more likely that children who are victims of maltreatment will carry forward these behavior patterns into adolescence and adulthood, thus perpetuating bullying and harassment with peers and dating partners. We examine the importance of relationships in understanding how abusive patterns of relating to others are shaped throughout childhood and adolescence and how they can be prevented. While early relationships are very important, they are not deterministic; there are ample opportunities for corrective experiences to offset negative early experiences.