Discrepancies in Self-reporting of Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan

Narhulan Halimbekh, Olympia Campbell, Yishan Xie, Anar Erjan, Anna Dmitrieva, Almagul Aisarieva, Zhamila Zhalieva, Damira Toktorova, Cholpon Kabylovna Sooronbaeva and Ruth Mace
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Narhulan Halimbekh: Unknown
Olympia Campbell: IAST - Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse
Yishan Xie: Unknown
Anar Erjan: Unknown
Anna Dmitrieva: Unknown
Almagul Aisarieva: Unknown
Zhamila Zhalieva: Unknown
Damira Toktorova: Unknown
Cholpon Kabylovna Sooronbaeva: Unknown
Ruth Mace: Unknown

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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.

Keywords: Forced marriage; Bride kidnapping; Kyrgyzstan; Misreport; Misperception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-09-13
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-tra
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Published in Human Nature, 2025, vol. 36, pp.382-402. ⟨10.1007/s12110-025-09500-1⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05551193

DOI: 10.1007/s12110-025-09500-1

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