The study focused on two major developments during the last decade that are transforming the field of child victimization research. One case examines how significant changes in the measurement of crime and victimization statistics are changing the understanding of victimization. The second case examines how contemporary theory is being fruitfully applied to provide new and complex understandings to the process of childhood victimization and the significance of culture. Both cases demonstrate how science can play a significant role in public advocacy when addressing child victimization. The Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire (CCRC) provides insight into new and crucial statistical resources that are emerging with regard to childhood victimization, serving as a model of a research community that capitalizes on popular discourse to engage in public advocacy. The research examines how contemporary developments in social theory can be brought into the field to reveal new complexities and facilitate understanding and appreciation that science is always participating in the construction of images of the child in ways that both facilitate and inhibit public action. References