The kids show little respect for authority towards their parents and the school. They frequently drink and smoke. Since they're teenage boys, they do things like moon a passing ship, jump off cliffs, get into street fights, and snort cleaning supplies. Two boys have sex with prostitutes (no nudity or thrusting is shown). They are strategically covered though. Drugs are prevalent. Jim Carroll gets addicted to heroin and some is burned on a spoon, injected, and eaten in pill form. Carroll fights a friend who is withdrawing the drugs from him.