A variety of phenyl-containing polymer surfaces have been oxidized using low pressure non-equilibrium O-2 glow discharges. Characterization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has shown that the level of oxygen incorporation can be correlated to the intensity of the C(1s) pi-pi* valence transition measured for the untreated parent polymer. In all cases, a globular surface texture is observed by atomic force microscopy following O-2 plasma treatment. These chemical and topographical changes can be explained in terms of the susceptibility of phenyl groups contained within the parent polymer structure toward oxidative glow discharge attack.