In many cases, advocacy has taken precedence to research and results have been exaggerated or magnified. Claims in the 1980's, later disproven, that 50,000 children are kidnapped each year by strangers represent one example. Other recent examples include inflated estimates of the incidence of elderly abuse, child sexual abuse, and rape. Exaggerated claims are eventually exposed, but they can powerfully shape media coverage and social policy when they deal with highly emotional subjects. Although advocacy studies do not necessarily elevate social science research standards, they sometimes serve a useful purpose in bringing serious problems to public attention. When advocacy research inflates problems and redefines them in line with ideological preferences, however, it invites social policies that may not be fair or effective. Researchers need to be cautious when making empirical claims and passionate and personal when expressing policy views. 113 references and 1 figure