Studies of recidivism in sex offenders of children require a long followup period to accurately reflect the behavior of these individuals. Studies where the research period is 5 years or less give low recidivism rates, while long-term studies of 10 years or more show higher recidivism. Additional research is also needed on sexual abusers who were victimized as children, with information obtained on whether the abuse was done by a female or male. Religion is another area where more research is needed. According to most studies, most sex offenders are religious. Research into the religious denominations of sex offenders would enable the investigation of the role of these religions on deviant behavior. 16 references.