# Discrepancies in Self-reporting of Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan: Concealment or misperception?

## TL;DR

The study explores discrepancies in how Kyrgyzstan couples report bride kidnapping marriages, revealing generational and gender differences shaped by changing legal and social norms.

## Contribution

The study identifies generational and gender-based discrepancies in self-reporting bride kidnapping, suggesting normative transformation through cohort replacement.

## Key findings

- Husbands and wives report marriages differently, with husbands often viewing them as consensual.
- Fathers report their sons' marriages as consensual, while sons report them as non-consensual.
- Recent couples show convergence in reporting, indicating evolving attitudes toward consent.

## 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.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12110-025-09500-1.