According to Atkinson's perspective, what do official statistics represent?

Atkinson's perspective focuses on the interpretation of official statistics, particularly in the context of suicide rates. He argues that these statistics do not reflect an objective reality; instead, they are influenced by social processes, particularly the labels that are assigned by coroners.

Coroners play a crucial role in determining the causes of death and deciding whether a death should be classified as a suicide. Their decisions are influenced by cultural beliefs, social norms, and the context surrounding each case, which means that the statistics that emerge from their classifications are shaped by subjective judgments rather than an absolute measure of actual suicides.

Therefore, when we consider official statistics under Atkinson's framework, they represent the labels attached to deaths by coroners rather than an accurate count of true suicide rates in society, reinforcing the idea that even official data can be a social construct, reflecting the values and definitions of those who compile them.