Introduction

Relationships can be joyous, transformative, wonderful connections between us and other people, places and things. They are perhaps the most important part of our lives. At the same time, relationships can be painful, harmful and difficult to navigate. Some of us have been harmed in relationships, know the pain of broken or abusive relationships, or have experienced loss in relationships, and this can create difficulties as we navigate the consequences of those experiences. Adversity in childhood and attachment difficulties affect developmental trajectories, impacting biologically, psychologically and socially. This adversity makes it more difficult to connect with opportunities offered in terms of education, hobbies, healthy activities and interests. Attention is instead focused on surviving threats, which are difficult or impossible to escape from. Adversity in childhood is life limiting, affecting people across domains including health (where poorer outcomes are reported), progress in education, employment (with the consequent impact on financial stability and safety) and of course in terms of contact with the criminal justice system.