Anxiety and violent behavior: predictor variables of self-esteem in university students from Cusco-Peru

Introduction: In recent years, the predictive capacity of anxiety and violent behavior with respect to self-esteem has gained increasing attention in the academic literature. In this context, it is relevant to examine the influence of these two independent variables on self-esteem as a dependent variable. Methodology: The present study aims to establish the influence of anxiety and violent behavior on the self-esteem of university students at a Peruvian university, in addition to evaluating the predictive capacity of the dimensions of anxiety and violent behavior on self-esteem. A sample of 360 students was used and three instruments were employed: the Inventory of Trait-State Anxiety (IDARE), the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Results: The results reveal that, overall, the model is highly significant, indicating that both anxiety and violent behavior have a negative impact on self-esteem. Discussion: The regression model based on trait anxiety shows higher explanatory power (34,9%) compared to the model based on state anxiety (23,7%). Conclusions: Anxiety and violent behavior exert a significant influence on self-esteem in the studied sample.