JavaScript is an interpreted scripting language that is used to make web pages interactive. It allows for client-side scripting which means scripts can be run directly in the browser. JavaScript supports object-oriented programming and event-driven programming. There are two types of scripting - client-side which runs on the browser and server-side which runs on the web server. Common JavaScript looping statements include for loops and while loops, and objects can be created to group data and functions together. The Document Object Model defines the logical structure of documents and allows JavaScript to access and update elements.