A juvenile court—also known as a young offender’s court—is a special court that handles criminal proceedings against minors—usually a child age 17 or younger, but in some states a child age 16 or younger, or age 15 or younger. Juveniles who are accused of violating a criminal statute against theft, drug use, drug possession, assault, disorderly conduct, underage drinking, truancy (skipping school), and curfew violations are often handled by juvenile courts. Juvenile dependency cases in which the state seeks to remove minors from a troubled home environment (when they are abused or neglected by their parents or guardians) are also handled by juvenile courts. But more violent offenses such as aggravated assault, rape, murder, and robbery are less likely to be prosecuted in juvenile court.

Cases in juvenile court are civil proceedings rather than criminal proceedings. This is significant because in juvenile court minors are charged with committing a delinquent act (a civil matter) rather than being charged with a criminal act. In juvenile court, juveniles do not have all of the Constitutional rights as an adult in criminal court does (such as the right to a jury trial), but police, prosecutors, and court officials have broad discretion in handling the case and giving the juvenile a second chance.

In Rhode Island, the Family Court has jurisdiction over juvenile matters, which includes both delinquency and dependency cases. Juveniles are generally defined as individuals who are 17 years old or younger. The Family Court handles cases involving minors who have committed offenses that would be considered criminal if committed by an adult, such as theft, drug offenses, assault, and other violations. However, for more serious offenses like aggravated assault, rape, murder, and robbery, the prosecutor may seek to have the juvenile tried as an adult, depending on the circumstances and the age of the offender. In juvenile proceedings, the focus is on rehabilitation rather than punishment, and the proceedings are civil, not criminal. This means that juveniles are adjudicated as 'delinquent' rather than convicted of crimes. While juveniles do not have the right to a jury trial in juvenile court, they are still afforded certain constitutional protections, such as the right to counsel and the right to confront witnesses. The Family Court also handles dependency cases, where the state intervenes in situations of abuse or neglect. The goal in these cases is to protect the welfare of the child, which may involve removing them from their home environment.