This research is about what students and professional believe about the attributes of child molesters, not research that actually statistically measures the attributes of child molesters.
Interestingly, it seems that the students’ perception of the attributes of child molesters may be superior to that of the professionals, at least in some regard. Here is a quote from the paper that you cite:
“Research indicates that most CSA perpetrators are White males, in their thirties, single, fairly well educated, and employed (Abel, Becker, Cunningham-Rathner, Mittelman, & Rouleau, 1988).” [emphasis added by me]
Thus, your cited research doesn't support what you said, that, “Pedophiles are almost always married men...”
In fact, a quick perusal suggests that the research you cite doesn't directly address the question, but in passing, says precisely the opposite of what you've asserted.
sitetest
I agree that this is not a direct survey about the characteristics of child molesters. I’d be interested in a better study too.
I don’t read this particular study the way you do. The part you quote was part of the review of the literature the authors used to assemble their survey questions.
The article shows that the professionals didn’t competely agree with that.
The study itself starts from the hypothesis that
“ students would be more likely to see abusers conforming to the stereotypical characteristics, whereas professionals’ perceptions would reflect characteristics of actual perpetrators.” Given who these people treat IMO that isn’t a bad assumption.
The research you quoted was certainly the basis for questions regarding “items describing potential demographic characteristics of abusers.”
The differences between that study and the impressions of the professionals were married state and educational level.