WASHINGTON - Money is tight, tensions are high and now in the middle of a recession, workplace bullies seem to be more prevalent.

It's perhaps the one place in the workforce where men and women are just about equal, as bullying by both sexes appears to be on the rise.

By swearing, sabotaging, scheming and cutting others down, bullies have long caused anxiety in the workplace. And as the economy recently got worse, so it seems did their attacks.

"You can't take it out on yourself," said Kari Uman, a leadership coach. "You take it out on your family and you take it out at work."

According to a study by the Workplace Bullying Institute, 40 percent of bullies are women and of those, 70 percent target other women.

"Most men are blunt. They'll tell you how [they] feel. Women will try different methods that don't always work," said Kelly Jones, a D.C. resident.

"I've seen a lot of cattiness," said Shari Flowers, a D.C. resident.

"Women tend to be sort of undercutting in the workplace," added Claire Lebrun, an Arlington resident.

And unlike many men, female victims tend to suffer in silence. "It makes you feel helpless sometimes," said Jones.

"It makes it harder for your job and then you feel uncomfortable coming into work," said LaShawn Jones, a D.C. resident.

"It just very much brings down morale," added Elissa Frankle, a Rockville resident.

Many question if women turn to bullying in the workplace because they are insecure about their roles or because there aren't as many leadership opportunities, but what most leadership specialists agree on is that when women bully, they only hurt each other.

"The women who recognize that this is important to get more women in power, to get more women in higher positions and promoted and work with them -- don't do this," said Uman.

A Zogby poll found more than a third of workers have been bullied and 57 percent of the targets are women.

Experts say those who are being bullied should keep a detailed log and make a formal complaint if it's possible to show a consistent pattern of mistreatment. They say not to resign or transfer, as this would let the bully win.

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