Social problems are an integral part of social life. The term ‘social problem’ refers to social conditions, processes and attitudes that are commonly perceived to be negative and undesirable (Jamrozik et al. 1998). A social problem is something that threatens the values of society such as law and order, social cohesion and the stability of social institutions. However some of the social conditions we now ignore may well come to be seen as social problems in the future. Similarly some of the societal arrangements that we consider to be social problems now were not so considered in earlier times (Rubington & Weinberg. 2003). What then makes a social problem?