There is no single, authoritative figure for stranger abductions of children, but several official agencies collect relevant data. Sources of data are the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Crime Information Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Child Safety Council, reported homicide cases, and cases of unidentified remains of children. Data from each source reflect the organizational practices and definitions of the compiling agencies. The data on stranger abductions of children, however, reinforce one another to produce some clear conclusions. First, the missing children crusaders' initial claims exaggerate the problem. There is no evidence to support claims of 50,000 stranger abductions annually, of 40,000 permanently missing victims, 500 abduction-related homicides, or 5,000 unidentified juvenile corpses. Second, the scope of the problem depends on the broadness of the definition of stranger abduction. The most serious cases, i.e., those involving murder or a child's prolonged absence, number possibly 200-600 annually. Exaggerated statistics should not be used as a basis for increasing parents' and children's unreasonable fears or for expanding social control mechanisms that erode civil liberties. 3 tables, 9 notes, 39 references.