Which term describes an individual who commits multiple murders over time?

• A. Incidence of Crime
• B. Crime Statistics
• C. Deviance
• D. Serial Killer

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is how we label someone who commits multiple murders across a period. When a person kills several people over time with breaks between events, we describe them as a serial killer. The cooling-off period between murders is a key feature that sets serial killers apart from other patterns, such as a mass murder (multiple victims in a single event) or a spree killer (multiple victims across locations in a short time with little or no break). The other terms refer to measuring or describing crime rather than naming a type of offender: incidence of crime is about how often crimes occur, crime statistics are data on crime, and deviance is a social label for behavior that violates norms. So, the term that fits an individual who commits multiple murders over time is serial killer.