There are many studies and theories on the factors which contribute to juvenile firesetting. Age, intelligence, social skills, economic background, family life, emotional and physical well-being all are factors that can contribute to the problem. Because there are so many factors, each firesetter should be evaluated on the basis of his or her individual situation. This can be confusing for parents trying to understand this behavior, but the experts have discovered that there are some common denominators.

First, some studies have indicated that as much as 50 percent of children surveyed admitted to misusing fire. Most children who misuse fire are between the ages of 4 and 9. Most are boys, and they usually use matches or lighters to start their fires. Many of the children surveyed indicated that they did not understand the power of fire. They understood that a match could burn a piece of paper, but are unable to comprehend it can burn down a whole house. Most children have never seen a whole house burn down, but they know that when an adult lights a candle, the whole house does not burn down.

Children who experiment with fire are trying to learn how it works, what it can do and what its limits are.