Makes sense that “troubled” boys would make for easier picking, but I’m not sure it goes anywhere to overthink this. Molesters don’t go for just every boy, or they’d find themselves kicked in the you know what before long. They have gaydar.
In Ancient Rome and Afghanistan, they go for the best looking boys—the attractive ones. Depends what worldview the boys grow up with— and how they have connected with healthy males role models—societies that don’t encourage pederasty and homosexuality.
When young boys have artificial home life—no healthy male role model who care for them—they will not be “normal”. They usually have very low self-esteem and loathing for self. They feel little worth. They also are filled with anger at the world.
They learn to love themselves and have normal sexual identity formation by identifying with a healthy male role model who cares for them and teaches them what maleness is—but that male has to affirm him and teach him that he is important and has dignity—he does that by loving him.
Children who don’t have a healthy relationship with a male-—whether female or male, have major problems in future healthy long term relationships. Documented by the psychiatrist in England, Theodore Dalrymple. It is not an accident that fatherless boys are not normal—they have very low self esteem, have high level of anger, and tend to hate themselves (their maleness).