The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and close relationships in university students. The universe of this descriptive, cross-sectional study consisted of all first-year students studying in the field of health at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University in 2016-2017 academic year and the sample of the study included 830 students who agreed to participate in the study among these students. Data were collected using “The Descriptive Information Form” prepared in line with the literature by researchers, “Childhood Trauma Scale” and “Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory”. The data were evaluated in SPSS 22.0 program. Means, percentages, independent samples t-test, Pearson correlation test and One-Way ANOVA test were used for data evaluation. The mean age of the students was 19.25±1.68 and 72.3% were female. 20.4% were nursing students. 8.3% of the students stated that they had nuclear type families and 44.3% of the students reported that their parents were separated for a period. 57.3% of the students described their parents’ parenting attitude as protective. Women, those who live alone with their family or friends, those who have a period of separate parents, those whose mother has a doctorate degree, whose father is illiterate, who have a high level of income and those who received psychological help in the last year and those who did not have any friends had more traumas (p<0.05). It was found that as physical and emotional traumas experienced during childhood increased, avoidance in close relationships increased (p<0.05) and as the physical, emotional and sexual traumas experienced during childhood increased, avoidance increased (p<0.001). It is needed to focus on the research about investigation of childhood neglect and of children and adolescents in order to establish healthy relationships in later life, to increase the number of research to determine the factors affecting the traumatization by examining the family structures of children raised in different socio-cultural structure.