Supporting the Use of the Animal Kinetic Family Drawing

Abstract

This study is a systematic literature review that supports the use and interpretation of the Animal Kinetic Family Drawing (AKFD) with adolescent intrafamilial sex offenders. A review of historical and psychoanalytic research on symbolism, metaphor, and animal imagery was used to support the structure and content of the Animal Kinetic Family Drawing as a valid and reliable tool for exploring family dynamics with this population. Family is considered to be the source of the most important interpersonal relationships in the process of personal growth and family life is highly influential in the development of a child’s interpersonal relationships, life skills and sense of self. Adolescent intrafamilial sex offenders often come from rejecting and/or neglectful family environments where relationships between members may be strained, nonexistent, or enmeshed. The use of the Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD) to explore family dynamics with this population may be too anxiety provoking and it is hypothesized that through the use of the animal metaphor, the AKFD might be a more beneficial assessment for family exploration with this population. The use of the AKFD was examined through research on the history of projective assessments, including those of the KFD and AKFD. The content of the AKFD was supported through an exhaustive research on animal symbolism from a psychoanalytic perspective. Findings of the study helped to provide a framework for interpretation, which might be further explored in future studies to develop a rating manual that would assist with objective scoring measures for the assessment.