The first section of the paper identifies the major components of the Queensland juvenile justice system. The paper uses police crime statistics to describe the extent and characteristics of juvenile delinquency and crime in Queensland. The next section discusses which types of children appear in court and on what charges, and examines the courts' formal response to juvenile defendants. The paper also discusses the impact of the Juvenile Justice Act on the treatment of juvenile offenders. The final two sections focus on the children in detention and reasons for the overrepresentation of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the juvenile justice system. 12 figures, 4 tables, 10 references, and 1 appendix