What I mean by the phrase, “They ask for it” is that they do things and push boundaries with other inmates that lead to the assault.
Example: I knew a guy who would always talk about his crime even after he was told to shut the fuck up about it. He was also proud of how he taught his young daughters how to give a bj. His cellies hated him, the cops hated him, most other sex offenders hated him because they wanted to move on and he wanted to stay back. He found his way into solitary.