A Contagious Smile Podcast · Victora Cuore; A Contagious Smile, Who Kicked First, Domestic Violence Survivor, Advocate, Motivational Coach, Special Needs, Abuse Support, Life Skill Classes, Special Needs Social Groups

What Protects A Victim When Power Looks The Other Way

·1 hr 8 min·4 clips

How can you psychologically know one of your children is getting abused and do nothing?

1. A Contagious Smile Podcast centers this episode on Contagious Smile Academy, family abuse, and the question of who protects victims when power looks the other way. 2. Victoria Curie and Michael Curie speak as the hosts, with Victoria leading the discussion about the Academy, her books, and her experiences with abuse, while Michael reacts and asks questions. 3. The episode asks what an abusive parent, a blocked platform, and a protective system have in common when a victim needs safety. 4. Victoria says the Academy uses multiple authentication steps, hidden profiles, and fictitious names so an abuser cannot see a member's plan or course history. 5. She says members can hide completely, and even Michael does not get approval to see who chose that setting. 6. Victoria says the platform includes courses and collections for the Stucco Squad, Phoenix Rising, caregivers, veterans, and social-media training. 7. She says the Academy has awarded "over 510 scholarships" and keeps most survivor resources free. 8. Michael describes a recent influx of "15 or 20 new members" in an hour and says some were bots or solicitations. 9. Victoria says those off-topic ads will be removed because the Academy is not a place for company promotion. 10. The conversation also covers her book Shielded, which she says is about how government and law enforcement do not protect as they should. 11. Victoria links that book to her belief that abuse is under-addressed even though people hear about it more often now. 12. She says she has a law-enforcement background in the family and that this made the book feel more authentic to write. 13. Victoria says her "sperm donor" worked in law enforcement and still did "not a doggone thing" when abuse was happening. 14. She recalls court testimony where she said, "I will never hit him first, but I'll stop the threat," and the judge responded that she would kill him if he touched her. 15. Michael and Victoria discuss how a parent can know a child is being abused and still reward the abuser with money, visits, or silence. 16. Victoria says she would protect Faith no matter what and describes refusing to let an abuser take her daughter into a private room or bathroom. 17. The tone mixes casual husband-wife banter, sharp profanity, and direct testimony, with the conversation moving between jokes, logistics, and trauma. 18. The format is conversational and argument-driven, with Michael interrupting, prompting, and summarizing while Victoria expands on the details. 19. Listeners interested in abuse recovery, family dynamics, and survivor resources would likely connect with this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a light chat or a short, topic-free show may skip it.

As heard by us

A joking, sharply protective conversation that turns domestic banter into a hard-edged story of conflict and self-defense.

Michael and Victoria start in a light, teasing register, with jokes about a chiropractor visit and a photo gag giving the conversation a familiar domestic rhythm.

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Why you'd press play

For when you want survivor talk that never gets sanded down.

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