Two studies explored the relationship between cognitions and
long-term symptoms in adult child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors. In
Study 1, an American sample of 43 survivors completed questionnaires
assessing attributional style and dysfunctional beliefs in cognitive
themes affected by victimization, as well as measures of posttraumatic
symptoms. Survivors' attributions of negative events were more
internal, stable, and global than those of 29 comparison subjects
without a history of CSA. However, only the globality scale was
significantly related with severity of long-term symptoms. High
correlations between dysfunctional beliefs concerning safety, trust,
esteem, or intimacy, and posttrauma symptoms were found. The latter
finding was replicated in Study 2 with a German sample of 35 CSA
survivors, even when controlling for frequency of abuse.