Elaine Swift was just 15 when she died. She had been subjected to almost four years of bullying by girls who had once been her friends. The youngster, from Hartlepool, first hit the headlines in 1997 when she donated bone marrow to save the life of her younger sister, Christine, who was suffering a third relapse with leukaemia. Day after day from then on she was cruelly taunted and ostracised by bullies envious of her intelligence and new-found fame. In the end, convinced she was a trouble to everyone and that she was a horrible person, Elaine started to punish herself by abusing her body with painkillers. She took them constantly over a period of 14 days, her liver failed and by the time she was taken to hospital there was nothing the doctors could do to save her life. Elaine is one of 16 children every year who take their own lives after being bullied. Thousands suffer long term effects and last year ChildLine received over 20,000 calls from children who were being bullied - the single most common reason children called for help. The peak age for bullying is between nine and 13, the awkward transition period between being a child to becoming a teenager. In the past, it has been boys' bullying - the physical punching and kicking - that has been flagged up by teachers, parents and experts. But over recent years it is girls' bullying that has attracted most attention. Dr Val Besag, from Jesmond, Newcastle, is a world expert on bullying and has spent the last few years researching girls' bullying. Unlike boys, she says, bullying among girls is generally verbal and isolating and despite the devastating consequences, even now it is still not always recognised as a form of bullying. "We have broken down the barriers of what was lady-like, acceptable behaviour and the expectations on girls have changed," she says. "Boys tend to be more hierarchical in their bullying, with the stronger ones leading and the weaker ones being susceptible to being bullied. "They form friendships according to their `ranking' and in many cases simply keep out of the way of each other. Girls' bullying is more subtle. "The term I come across most when I am talking to students is `sneaking'. Girls seem to be terrified of missing days at school in case someone else sneaks their friend away from them. "In many cases, girls find they are being bullied by someone who just days earlier was their best friend. When that happens, often the rest of the friendship group will follow the bully, leaving the victim suddenly isolated. "It's so common. Speak to most women and you will see in their eyes they understand exactly the situation you are describing. "It's an extremely cruel behaviour and can have devastating long-term effects on the child and yet even now this so-called `breaking friends' and name-calling has been brushed aside as part of growing up." Tim Field, co-author of the book Bullycide: Death at Playtime, adds: "Quite simply, girls have a superior social intelligence. Both genders bully, but girls are better at it; they are more switched on to the nuances of social interaction and use psychological forms that are harder to detect and easier to deny, and they can do it with a smile." Research by the Department for Education and Skills found that, despite legislation passed in 1999 compelling every state school to have a `bullying charter', a third of all girls said they had been too afraid to go to school at some point. The short-term effects of such aggression are traumatic, but the long-term effects can be devastating. A RECENT report by Kidscape found that adults who were bullied as children carried the problems with them through into later life, reporting low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts and difficulty relating to people. "The constant name calling - telling someone over and over again they're fat or useless or simply that no one likes them - is a form of brainwashing," says Dr Besag, who most recently worked for the education department at Gateshead Council before retiring to set up her own consultancy. "It's similar to the hostage situation and can be just as mentally devastating for the victim if they are unable to cope with it. "Gradually, the child becomes more isolated as friends move away and the result is the victim becomes more vulnerable. They look around and they see no support and even start to believe that everyone is thinking the same thing about them. "It's at this point they begin to believe that what is being said must be true and their confidence is shattered." The subtleties of girls' bullying has also progressed as more and more they encroach into the victim's personal space by sending text messages by mobile phone or e-mailing them. Dr Besag explains: "This is not only cruel but frightening, because the victim no longer has anywhere to hide. Previously safe places where the victim could hide away can now be reached by the bullies." Dr Besag says that in girls, bullying is all about establishing power. "It's very difficult to categorise people into bullies and victims. Basically, we all have the potential to be both. It all depends on how the bullying is delivered and received, whether someone is feeling particularly vulnerable at that time in their life or whether they have a lot of pent up aggression. "Girls use very powerful bullying techniques; telling tales, bad mouthing and social ostracism. Even as adults we are only just beginning to understand how vicious gossip can be." However, Dr Besag says that once bullying has been identified among girls, dealing with it is relatively simple. "I have always been a firm believer in fighting the effect with the cause," she says. "Girls are gabby - they love to talk - so to solve the problem we have to find a way to get the victim and the bully to talk. "You have to find a way to help them understand how each other is feeling, each other's perspective on the situation. "Nine times out of 10, with a little guidance, the girls will sort it out themselves - each one coming out a little wiser." | 
