It depended on the location. According to Christos Yannaras' "Orthodoxy and the West" and S. Trifkovic's "The Sword of the Prophet", some families were so fearful and opposed to their sons being selected as Janissaries, that they purposely disfigured them, as Janissaries couldn't have physical imperfections. However, according to Malcolm Noel's "Bosnia: A Short History" some Bosnian families would actually bribe Ottoman scouts to select their sons, as the position of Janissary came with some benefits for the family.