A social-cognitive information-processing model for school-based aggression reduction and prevention programs: Issues for research and practice

Student aggression in schools continues to be a problem. School-based programs are a critical part of the solution. In this article we review research on the development of aggressive behavior within a social-cognitive information-processing (SCIP) framework. Huesmann (1998) presented a "unified" SCIP model in an attempt to integrate extant models. This model focuses on individuals' (a) attention to and interpretation of situational cues; (b) search for and retrieval of scripts for behavior; (c) script evaluation based on beliefs about aggression, outcome expectancies, and self-efficacy for aggressing or inhibiting aggression; and (d) interpretation of environmental responses to their behavior. We highlight components of best practice school programs that address these steps. Limitations of the SCIP framework are discussed as directions for future research. Applied recommendations based on a unified SCIP model are offered.