Juvenile court operates under the assumption that juveniles, unlike adults, are more likely to be misguided or confused and so deserve gentler treatment. Thus, the language of the court is different – juvenile court has fact-finding hearings instead of trials for example.
Juvenile court is closed to the public and to the press, and there is no jury. The idea here is to protect the “respondent” (in adult court, the defendant) from the folly of youth, assuming that maturity will help the person find their way back to the righteous path.
In the juvenile courts, rehabilitation of the individual is the primary focus. Within the adult courts due process and retribution are considered more important than the individuals themselves. Sometimes juvenile courts are the best thing for a minor, but sometimes they can end up with longer probation times than a similar crime would earn in adult court.
In any case, having a hearing in juvenile court keeps young people from being locked up in penitentiaries full of predators and criminals who are quite willing to share their law-breaking behaviors.
You can read more about the difference here.