After admitting he is gay, schoolboy Chris has to cope with daily insults and the occasional beating. He isn't real, but his story is.

Chris is one of nine characters featured on a new web site to be launched next month.

His virtual life has been created by Dr Chris Gaine from University College Chichester. He was commissioned to create an anti-bullying website by Brighton and Hove City Council to be used in city schools.

The project, called Coastkid, allows web visitors to explore the lives and feelings of both the bully and the bullied, with the aim of heightening understanding of the issue.

Dr Gaine said: "The website is based around the lives of nine children who you can visit at home and accompany to school. Each character has a storyline, which visitors to the website can follow and advise them on.

"The stories deal with very adult issues such as domestic violence, racism and homophobia and encourage children to question the reasons behind bullying and its affects on individuals.

"My hope it that children who visit the website will be better equipped to tackle bullying, both as victims and onlookers."

The brightly-coloured, easy-to-understand site follows the success of Dr Gaine's Britkid website, which works on a similar format and tackles attitudes to racism.

Since the site's completion in 1997, Dr Gaine has also been asked to provide similar websites for other countries, including Swedkid for Sweden.

Dr Gaine, a reader in education and social policy, said: "One of the reasons Britkid was so successful is that it can be used by individuals at home or school and by teachers as a learning resource."

Chairwoman of Brighton and Hove City Council's children, families and schools subcommittee Councillor Pat Hawkes said: "The council is firmly committed to tackling bullying in our schools and this website will be a valuable tool in doing that.

"One of the most vital weapons in fighting bullying is to demystify it and bring it out into the open.

"Only by doing that will children feel more able to admit there is a problem and seek help."