THE SOCIAL INFORMATION PROCESSING MODEL EXPLAINS SEXUAL AGGRESSION PERPETRATION

Abstract

Sexual aggression represents a complex form of interpersonal violence influenced by cognitive, emotional, social, and situational factors. Traditional explanations focusing solely on personality traits or psychopathology have proven insufficient to fully account for why sexual aggression occurs. The Social Information Processing (SIP) model offers a comprehensive cognitive–behavioral framework for understanding how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to social cues in ways that may lead to sexually aggressive behavior. This research article examines how each stage of the SIP model—encoding of cues, interpretation, goal clarification, response generation, response evaluation, and enactment—contributes to sexual aggression perpetration. Drawing on empirical research from psychology, criminology, and forensic science, the paper integrates evidence on hostile attribution bias, rape-supportive cognitions, emotional dysregulation, and decision-making deficits. The article further discusses implications for assessment, prevention, and intervention, emphasizing the value of the SIP model for both theoretical understanding and applied forensic practice.