A character is accused of committing statutory rape.

Passionate kissing scenes throughout the series and characters seen in bed implying sex. Constant discussion of sex and virginity. Affairs and cheating are frequent.

A man gets hit while in his car. The car catches on fire after the truck that hit it stops. The man driving the car was later announced dead.

Later episodes in the series involve it and themes of it, e.g. one student is frequently date raped in an episode where Brenda volunteers at a teen hotline, Brenda is robbed at gunpoint and Dylan's father is the target of a Mob hit in later seasons' episodes.

Some, TV-safe words like "damn" and "hell". Infrequent use of the words "bitch" and "ass".

Characters get addicted to Cocaine.

A couple of characters throughout the series are alcoholics, recovering alcoholics or ex-alcoholics and alcohol addiction problems are sometimes talked about and referred to.

Conflicts between characters are sometimes intensified because character/s is/are drunk.

Many episodes are about this by both the young people themselves and parents. Many characters deal with substance issues revolving around cocaine, heroin, and lsd.

Characters are stalked, held hostage, and one is raped in the later seasons.

A character tells a group of underage girls that she lost her virginity by non-consensual sex. The character describes being left on the ground in the woods after the assault. The story itself is not very graphic but disturbing and may be triggering to people with similar experiences.