ABSTRACT
Many of us use the term "justice" in everyday speech, likely without thinking very deeply about what it actually means. But conceptions and perceptions of justice are complex and subjective, depending on any number of individual characteristics, including upbringing, education, and personal experiences. Students' understanding of the criminal justice system may reflect our longstanding cultural emphasis on individual accountability and retribution. Students' negative or reactive conceptions of justice may be influenced by the impact of these cultural emphases in their education. Outside of criminal justice perspectives, many students referred to justice using positive conceptions, referring to it simply as "equality" or "fairness". Social media's role in the exposure of injustices was a common element students discussed in their papers. The media's impact in increasing student interest in social justice issues is important given the declining role of civic participation in young people's lives and the attenuation of social ties.
