Social problems encountered in a society are usually diverse in nature. The factors responsible can be categorised as follows:
- Economic, usually in form of poverty, unemployment etc.
- Cultural, usually in form of divorce, juvenile delinquency etc
- Biological, usually in the form of infectious deseases, food poisoning etc.
- Phychological, usually in the form of neurological disease etc.
Types of Social Problems
On the basis of origin, Social Problems are of four types:
- Which are rooted in some aspect of the physical environment.
- Which are inherent in the nature or distribution of the population involved.
- Which result from poor social organisation.
- Which involves from a conflict of cultural values within the society.

According to Fuller and Myers, there are three types of problems.
- Physical Problems: Through these are the Problems of the society but their causes are not based on value conflicts, for example floods and famines.
- Ameliorative Problems: There is consensus about the effects of these problems but their are differences pertaining to their solution. For example crime, poverty and AIDS.
- Moral Problems: There is no consensus pertaining to the nature or causes of these problems. for example
- Characteristics of social problem
- Reactions to social problems
- Causes of social problems
- Social problems Approaches
- Stages in the development of a social problem
- Solving social problems
- Social problems and social change in India
- Sociology, sociologists and social problems