Female sociopaths are a pretty wide and fuzzy category that includes a wide variety of behaviors, but have the same core set of personality traits. On one point of the spectrum are Femme fatale, on the other those who wear a mask of a faceless corporate bureaucrats or right wing authoritarian functionaries without sense of humor. Some are petty vindictive micromanagers who are as far from any overt display of sexual attractiveness as one can get (although that does not exclude some flirt or sex with higher ups in a new meaning of kiss up, kick down authoritarian motto ;-).

Finnish researcher Kaj Bjorkqvist found is that girls are no less aggressive than boys; they're just aggressive in different ways. Instead of fighting on the playground like the boys, they play subtle mind games that may be even more damaging than a black eye. Male bullying is comprised of direct behaviors such as teasing, taunting, threatening. Female bullies attacks are typically more indirect and directed at causing a target to be socially isolated through intentional exclusion. So it is little surprise that female bosses are usually more cunning and inclined towards more sophisticated bullying and prefer such methods as:

Sophisticated, sadistic cruelty toward victims. This the most typical feature. Cruelty in such persons usually can diagnosed from pretty young age. On of the most telling symptom is sadistic cruelty to animals in young age.
Attempts to isolate victim. That includes The cold shoulder Refusing to communicate and forming cliques to maintain this "excommunication" mode. Sulking Indirect aggression, which is widely used by female bullies involves the use of relationships, rather than fists, to hurt another. Rumors, name calling, cliques, shunning, and a variety of other behaviors are the weapons that female bullies use against other females and (less often, males) in schools, universities, sports teams, during recreational activities. The is also an alarming tendency of increasing incidence of physical confrontations between adolescent girls, which is an escalation of relational aggression to "male bullies" level ("alpha female" phenomenon).

Among typical manipulation techniques are:

Minimization: aggressor is attempting to assert that his behavior is not really harmful or irresponsible as someone else may be claiming.

Lying. Often facts to detect false statements are not available when they are presented. One thing to protect you is to know that those personalities will stop at nothing to win and you can expect them to lie and cheat. Lying by omission is a most subtle way to deception -- manipulator simply withhold critical information.

Denial. "Classic "Who...Me ?" tactic invites the victim to feel unjustified in confronting the sociopaths about the inappropriateness.

Selective inattention. Children often close their ears when they do not want to listen to something.

Rationalization. This is an excuse that aggressor is making to justify his reprehensible actions.

Diversion. Changing the subject is classic example of diversion.

Evasion. Deliberate use of vagueness is classic example of evasion. Evasion of responsibility is often connected with "leaving no written trail" giving orders only by phone or via patsies.

Covert intimidation. Find a weak spot and try to push on them

Guilt-tipping. This is a classic trick: to pass the blame for own mistakes, actions or inactions on you.

Shaming: subtle sarcasm and put-downs as a mean of increasing fear and self-doubt. Also can be used to weaken moral principles and as such is widely used in seduction.

Playing victim role. Portraying themselves as victim of circumstances, somebody else behavior in order to gain sympathy, evoke compassion and thereby get something in return. Check everything she said for truthfulness. Learn to differentiate manipulation, especially manipulation using guild or pity -- a typical trick by women sociopath. Remember that you deal with very talented actor/actresses and able the pity play is high on the list of sociopathic techniques. (see, for example, Niagara) It's okay to pity someone who has gone through difficult times, but if you find yourself feeling sorry for someone's sad story, make sure the story is true. If we are talking about females, the pity play should be a warning sign to all of us as this is a very typical tool for female sociopaths. Classic example is manipulation using guild, for example, "or I am so overworked, I am working 10 hours a days, and you do not help me enough".

Vilifying the victim. Sociopath try to pretend that he/she was only responding (i.e. defending himself/herself).

Playing a servant role. By pretending working hard for somebody sense (usually superior) goals, sociopaths conceal their ambitions, hunger for status and power and quest to position to dominate others. The most powerful technique female bullies (and all sociopaths are bullies) use is the isolation and exclusion, which in high school environment can take grotesque forms:

My "lunch tray moments" consisted of going from table to table, trying to sit down, and kids telling me I wasn't welcome to sit with them, and then eating by myself in the detention room, the only place that would have me.

My "gym class moments" consisted of being the girl left over when the last team captain chose the second-to-last girl, and then the other team captain declaring she never picked me and that I was not on her team.

I adapted first making friends with the neighborhood dogs who all accepted me with love and dignity, and then by getting involved with out-of-school activities and making lots of friends outside of school. By 10th grade, I had friends at school again.