For the first time, a young woman at the center of a very public tragedy has come forward. Tiffany Howard spoke with 11 News about how far teenage domestic violence can go. Sitting down with Tiffany Howard is like sitting down with almost any 18-year-old girl. She has an individual style and presence that is all her own.

 "I'm doing pretty good[these days]," she said.

 Life, for Tiffany, has already shown her experiences not meant for children.

 "Anytime we would get in fights, I was the reason why we were fighting, it was something about me even if I didn't do anything," she said.

 In 2007, Tiffany had a boyfriend named A.J.

 "I just thought he really cared for me and wanted to be around me all the time," she remembered.

 Their intense relationship spilled over one last time on November 5th on a street in Colorado Springs. A.J. drove one car, chasing Tiffany and her friends in another. He chased them through the city, finally firing at them with a shotgun.

 The group of friends who tried to help Tiffany that day were teens themselves. Jeremy Vasquez was shot, as was Michael Fisher, who was the driver. He died at the scene. A.J. beat Tiffany with a shotgun before taking his own life. Vasquez was left fighting for his, and Tiffany lay battered in a field nearby. She was 16.

 "If we would fight and it got violent, alot of the times I would blame myself and think that I started it. [I thought] that it was completely normal that everyone throws fists once in a while if they get mad enough," said Tiffany.

 Experts stress that throwing fists is far from normal, but violence is something that happens too often in teenage dating relationships.

 "One in 3 teens, it's estimated, will experience abuse in their relationship before the time they reach being adults, so it is very prevalent," said Cheryl Stueve.

 Stueve now works closely with Tiffany through the local organization TESSA. Her mission is shedding light on the problem of teens who hurt other teens.

 "I think a lot of times it's seen as a stage for kids: they're hormonal, they'll grow out of it."

 She goes on to say it's not taken seriously when they are seen getting into altercations. She says, "I think alot of times it's done behind closed doors as it is with adults, so they're not seeing it in their faces so it's not recognized."

Stueve said there are warning signs parents can watch for such as unexplained injuries, withdrawal, or evidence of controlling behavior. Following Tiffany's ordeal, schools are opening doors for guests like Cheryl to offer advice to teachers, and to better reach teens.

 "They're remaining very silent. They're not reaching out for help, so if we can get in to classrooms and get them educated they can reach out for help and start talking and the cycle starts breaking," said Stueve.

"Reach out. You could avoid a lot of trouble in your life," suggested Tiffany.

Tiffany and Jeremy Vasquez have decided to add their voices whenever they can, talking with others their age who may feel afraid, or alone.

"Maybe it will help some people, maybe look at me, like I'm the only person going through this," Jeremy said.

Jeremy is still working toward recovery with the help of Tiffany's friendship. Both of them wear blue bracelets bearing the name of their friend, Michael Fisher.

They are two teenagers who now share what they know about a very grown up matter.

"It's awesome to be able to help people, or show them domestic violence when they might not be able to see it," Tiffany said.

Their goal is to do whatever they can to prevent it from happening again.

October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness month. Tiffany and Jeremy are already scheduled to make guest-speaking appearances on the topic locally and at the State Capitol in Denver next month.