Despite the headlines, experts say child abductions by strangers are on the decline.

The kidnap-murder of Samantha Runnion in California, the abduction of Elizabeth Smart in Salt Lake City and the kidnapping of Erica Pratt in Philadelphia have garnered intense news coverage.

An FBI spokeswoman says it may appear there's a crime wave -- but she says "that's just not the case."

The FBI says most abductors are relatives or acquaintances of the child.

The FBI opened 93 such investigations last year, down down from 134 the year before. And the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates 100 such abductions occur yearly -- down from 200 to 300 in the 1980s.

The group's head calls the abductions "a terrible problem" but said "the good news is, these cases have been coming down."