Even though there has been considerable research looking at attachment and abuse, studies to date have had limited generalizability with most studies focusing on male perpetrators or female victims. One of the primary goals of this study was to extend the generalizability by sampling from the community. The two-phase study examined how individual differences in attachment were associated with women’s and men’s relationship abuse. A telephone survey assessed levels of psychological and physical abuse in 1,249 Vancouver residents with 128 of these residents completing an attachment interview exploring their interpersonal relationships. The most consistent finding of the study was a link between preoccupied attachment and intimate abuse. In addition, preoccupation was predictive of abuse independently of gender and other attachment orientations. In contrast to the findings for preoccupied attachment, little evidence was found of an association between attachment security and relationship abuse. The findings stress the importance of understanding relationship abuse as developing within the context of ongoing relationships. Figure, tables, references