Purity balls, in which a girl pledges to remain 'pure' until her wedding day, symbolically 'marries' God, and promises her father that she will remain a virgin until she's a wife, have become a phenomenon in America, now taking place in 48 out of the 50 states.

The balls resemble giant wedding ceremonies, with the girls - all around the age of 12 - wearing white gowns and dancing with their fathers who promise to 'protect' their daughter's chastity.

During the ceremony, fathers present their daughters with purity rings, which they wear to symbolise their commitment to virginity.