"Every woman or girl who is raped or abused is someone's sister, someone's girlfriend, someone's mother." The dialogue is harsh, but the message is clear. "It changes and challenges the way teenagers minds think about the issue," says Jessica Sherman, Junior at Fromberg High School.

Fromberg High Schoolers participate in primary prevention, a new program in Carbon County to stop the hurt caused by domestic abuse before it starts. The program encourages "frank talk" about domestic abuse.

"It's painful to keep help people after the violence has occurred, we know we will always have to do that, but if we have a chance of changing our community, it's going to have to be through young people," says Allison Smith-Estelle. Jessica Sherman witnessed a friend her age being abused, it prompted her to become a teen mentor for primary prevention.

"One of my friends was in a bad relationship and her boyfriend beat her up. I was only 12 and it made me feel so bad," says Jessica Sherman.

She says teen dating violence is more common than people may think which may be part of the problem. One in five teens say they've already experienced violence. Still, Jessica says teens usually think if they're not the ones being abused, it's not their problem.

"It's just pushed under the covers no one really talks about. People think it's a big deal but they just don't see what they can do," says Sherman. But experts say just beginning the dialogue can make a difference-by talking about what is normal. "If you think about where to kids get their ideas of a healthy relationship? from their mom and dad, but we know with the divorce rates and with the cases of divorce, kids aren't always getting that healthy start at home.

Teens are savvy, and experts say abusers use technology, like cell phones and the internet, to harass or even stalk their dating partner. Nearly 1-in-3 say they've been text messaged as much as thirty times an hour by a dating partner trying to figure out where they are or what they're doing.

Experts say possessiveness, control and jealousy are all warning signs of unhealthy behavior. Mentors hope the program will not only empower teens today but also shape a new generation for the future.

"It's not going to be quick these are societal changes these are generations the seeds we plant today we will see when our five year olds become 20 year olds," says Smith-Estelle.

Domestic Violence Services recently received a grant to extend their primary prevention program to Yellowstone County.