Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.): Criticisms and Caveats1

Noting that Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.) has achieved a measure of uncritical acceptance among professionals and laypersons, the authors express reservations about the program. In particular, RE. T. is criticized for its emphasis on one‐sided techniques in the parent‐child relationship as well as its tendency to reduce complex problems to simplistic formulas. RE.T.'s central metaphor of parent‐as‐therapist is identified and found wanting. Finally, the authors pose a number of potential hazards of RE.T. for individuals and families, and observe that some of the issues raised here may have applicability beyond P.E.T. to the parent education movement in general