Which term is used to denote an individual who commits multiple murders over a period?

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

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is the specific label for a person who commits several murders over time. The term serial killer is used because it describes an individual who carries out multiple murders across a period, usually with intervals between them. This distinguishes such a person from someone who commits murders in a single event or without a pattern.

Incidence of crime refers to how often crimes occur in a population, not to the person or pattern of their crimes. Public perceptions of crime deals with how people view crime, which is about attitudes and beliefs rather than the offender’s behavior. Deviance is a broader idea about behaviors that violate social norms, not specifically about repeated murders by one person.

So, the best fit for someone who murders multiple times over a period is serial killer.