The increase in the age limit for juveniles to 18 under the new Young Offenders Act has caused some concern in those Canadian Provinces where the present age limit is 16. However, an examination of data from different Provinces shows that age limits may not be as crucial as other procedures which modify the flow of juveniles through the system. The tables of official action on juvenile theft cases in this study show that various provincial juvenile justice systems respond very differently to delinquency. Statistics which focus on these systems characteristics may have certain advantages over statistics based on the characteristics of juveniles for several reasons. Studies of juvenile behavior have not provided clear strategies for intervention, whereas modest administrative and structural changes might yield a small return. This is probably the only thing that an official can do at this time. The characteristics of the justice system may influence relationships that in the past we have taken as universal -- the relationship between delinquency and ethnicity, social class, or learning disability. Those who make policy decisions may have more alternatives if certain consequences seem to be connected systematically to different ways of organizing juvenile services. Therefore, continuing research on characteristics of juvenile justice systems could offer new ideas and different alternatives. References and tabular data are included.