Discrepancies in Self-reporting of Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan

Journal article

Bride kidnapping, where Women are abducted for marriage, persists in Kyrgyzstan despite being illegal. Although it is estimated that up to one-third of marriages in Kyrgyzstan result from abduction, the true prevalence of this practice is unknown. Estimates are based on self-reporting of a practice that has become illegal. Here we examine whether there are sex and intergenerational differences in this reporting, that reflect a changing legal and social environment that might influence the self-reporting of bride kidnapping marriage. Using data from 468 participants in two Kyrgyz villages collected through 2023, this study examines self-reporting discrepancies in kidnap marriages among married couples. Significant differences were found in how husbands and wives report their marriages: husbands often describe the marriages as consensual, while wives see them as non-consensual. These discrepancies show a convergence over time, with couples married more recently agreeing on the marriage type. Furthermore, fathers often reported their son’s marriages as consensual, while the sons themselves reported them as non-consensual, highlighting a generational divide. Our findings suggest a normative transformation driven by cohort replacement, where evolving attitudes toward consent erode the cultural mechanisms sustaining bride kidnapping. This offers insight into the evolutionary dynamics of such gender-biased harmful practices, highlighting how legal reforms and societal pressures reshape perceptions over time.

Authors: Halimbekh, N; Campbell, OLK; Xie, Y; Erjan, A; Dmitrieva, A

• Alternative title: Concealment or misperception?
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer
• Journal: Human Nature
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 382-402
• Publication date: 2025-09-13
• Acceptance date: 2025-08-12
• DOI: 10.1007/s12110-025-09500-1
• EISSN: 1936-4776
• ISSN: 1045-6767
• Language: English
• Keywords: Forced marriage; Misreport; Kyrgyzstan; Misperception; Bride kidnapping