IN ITALY, THE ECONOMIC APPROACH TO THE PHENOMENON OF CRIMINALITY HAS BEEN STUDIED AND THEORIZED ONLY BY ECONOMISTS WHO HAVE REFERRED TO BECKER'S MODEL IN RELATION TO THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, THUS TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ONLY A LIMITED PART OF THE ACTUAL COST OF CRIME. HOWEVER, THE NECESSITY OF INTRODUCING AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE IS REFLECTED IN CERTAIN CHOICES OF CRIMINAL POLICY AND MANIFESTED IN SOME RECENT STUDIES REVIEWED BY THE AUTHOR. IT IS THE AUTHOR'S OPINION THAT THESE STUDIES DO NOT PUT THE NECESSARY EMPHASIS ON THE CLOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEFENSE PLANNING. AN EFFECTIVE CRIMINAL POLICY REQUIRES INTEGRATED PLANNING WHICH CAN BE ACHIEVED ONLY BY REVIEWING CURRENT RESEARCH ORIENTATIONS AND INSTRUMENTS. THIS IMPLIES THAT PRIMARY ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF CRIME, THAT STATISTICAL DATA SHOULD ALLOW FOR CORRELATIONS BETWEEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIME, AND THAT COST BENEFIT ANALYSES SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO ALL SECTORS OF THE SOCIAL DEFENSE SYSTEM. --IN ITALIAN