Discrepancies in Self-reporting of Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan

Concealment or misperception

Bibliographic Data

ID5168540
AuthorsNarhulan Halimbekh (0000-0002-6928-5986, The London College, corresponding author), Olympia L K Campbell (0000-0001-8818-637X, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse), Yishan Xie, Yong Xie (0000-0002-3414-4016, University of Oxford), Anar Erjan (Cardiff University), Anna Dmitrieva (Kyrgyz State National University), Almagul Aisarieva (American University of Central Asia), Zhamila Zhalieva (Osh State University), Damira Toktorova, Damirа Kamilovna Toktorova (Osh State University), Cholpon Kabylovna Sooronbaeva (Issyk-Kul State University), R Mace (0000-0002-6137-7739, University College London)
Year2025
Volume36
Issue3
Pages382-402
Publication date2025-09-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Nature (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1045-6767 • E-ISSN: 1936-4776
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s12110-025-09500-1
PMID40944820
OpenAlexW4414161370
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited45

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

Arranged Marriage · Bride · Cohort · Convergence (economics · Ethnic group · Normative · Perception · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Sex work and related issues · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies

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