Because of the diversity in pediatrics, both in services offered, people served, and preparation of its health care members, it is difficult to have a universal definition of pediatric social illnesses. However, the trend is to include child abuse, neglect, failure to thrive, accidents, and poisonings in this category of illness. Nurses try to work with children and families to help them to grow emotionally and socially as well as physically. Through adaptation of the many programs currently available nurses stress the concepts of individuality and cultural variation, even when working with groups of children. To be more effective in meeting the challenge of pediatric social illness nurses are recognizing the need for enlarging health goals. Nurses are having to develop a broader base in their assessing, interviewing, counseling, teaching, supporting, providing physical care, referral, and advocating skills in order to meet the emerging needs of these children and their families.