Halimbekh, Narhulan, Campbell, Olympia, Xie, Yishan, Erjan, Anar, Dmitrieva, Anna, Aisarieva, Almagul, Zhalieva, Zhamila, Toktorova, Damira, Sooronbaeva, Cholpon Kabylovna and Mace, RuthORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6137-7739 (2025) Discrepancies in Self-reporting of Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. Human Nature, vol. 36. pp. 382-402.

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Abstract

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.