Dynamics and relationships in subjective and objective perceptions on crime in Italy

Despite the official data witness a downward trend in crime in Italy, the population’s perception on this issue is much less optimistic, outlining a Country where the citizens feel less and less safe and less confident in the protection offered by the judicial system. The statistical methodologies used in this paper try to evaluate whether and how the objective dynamics of crime and of criminal justice can influence the subjective perception of safety and legality, and thus to identify possible interventions, including legislative measures. At the same time, they want to determine whether this subjective indicator can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of justice.